Ukraine War News Today - Top Stories and Breaking Updates from Kyiv Post

The funds from frozen Russian assets will allow Kyiv to buy arms and repair equipment used on the battlefield.

The United Kingdom and Ukraine have agreed to a $3 bn agreement to fund weapons purchases and repair equipment this year.  

The funds are backed by the 2024 G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration for Ukraine (ERA Mechanism), which provides loans totalling $50 billion for Ukraine to be repaid using future profits from frozen Russian assets. Estimates of G7 and EU-held Russian assets are at $300 billion and will “remain immobilized until Russia ends its aggression and pays for the damage it has caused to Ukraine,” according to a G7 Communiqué. 

A report from Greenpeace shows satellite imagery of Russia building over 55 miles of electricity lines and pylons to connect the plant to the grid in occupied territory in Ukraine’s south.

Russia is building power lines to connect the temporarily occupied Zaporozhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (Zaporizhzhia NPP) to its power grid.

Satellite imagery shows Russia building over 55 miles of electricity lines and pylons since February to connect the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP to occupied territory in Ukraine’s south, according to a report released today from Greenpeace.

The US president has also accused his Russian counterpart of “playing with fire” after the latter launched major attacks across Ukraine for three consecutive nights despite ceasefire calls.

US President Donald Trump has threatened Russian leader Vladimir Putin with “very bad things” after the latter launched major attacks across Ukraine over the weekend despite the West’s ceasefire calls. 

Trump earlier said Putin “has gone absolutely CRAZY!” after the weekend strikes, which led to market fluctuations in Russia. 

Latest from the British Defence Intelligence.

• Sergey Surovikin, former Commander of the Russian Group of Forces in Ukraine, is reportedly carrying out a role as ‘head of a group of Russian military specialists’ at the Russian Embassy in Algeria. Russian Embassy photographs appear to show a notably thinner Surovikin at an event dedicated to Russia’s 09 May Victory Day, in his probable first public appearance in an official role since 2023.
• Surovikin, also former commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), was not seen in public for many months following the abortive Wagner Group mutiny led by Yevgeny Prigozhin in June 2023, which was denounced by Russian President Putin as ‘treason.’
• Reports of Surovikin’s arrest and detention in relation to the June 2023 Wagner Group mutiny were not publicly confirmed. The Russian Ministry of Defence (MOD) did not officially announce Surovikin’s resignation. However, in September 2023, references to him were reportedly removed from the Russian MOD’s website.
• Russian authorities were likely suspicious of Survikin’s long association with Wagner dating back to his operational activity in Syria, a notable operational nexus for Wagner, from 2017. Surovikin also served as point of contact for Wagner with the Russian MOD.

The institution told Kyiv Post it had fully addressed the requirements demanded by the IMF, even though the fund claimed in the March 2025 memorandum it hadn’t.

Ukraine’s National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC) says it had submitted an operational strategy and started the independent fit and proper review, although economists had previously stated it had not been done. 

Both NSSMC strategy and review are a requirement of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to complete the review of its four-year, $15.5 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program. 

Recent reports alleging that Russia has equipped its Shahed drones with AI and Telegram-based control systems are being dismissed by Ukrainian experts as technically inconsistent and misleading.

Russia continues to upgrade its Shahed-136 drones, reportedly adding 4G modems and video cameras. However, new claims that the Kremlin is using artificial intelligence (AI) and Telegram bots to control the drones mid-flight have been met with strong skepticism.

According to Ukrainian defense outlet Defense Express, the AI claims appear to be false.

The US envoy for Ukraine also said he has received terms for a potential peace settlement from the Ukrainian side, and he now awaits the same coming from Moscow.

US Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg said on Tuesday that the next direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow might be held in Geneva, Switzerland.

Kellogg, speaking on Fox News’s “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday, said he has received a “term sheet” from Ukraine regarding its conditions for peace talks and await the same for Russia, where a new round of talks can then commence, “probably in Geneva,” after evaluating prepositions from both sides. 

Rosgvardia has issued a draft order to amend its uniform standards to specify the color of underwear, a new design of cotton cap, and the abandonment of footwraps in favor of socks.

For the best part of 400 years, the Tsarist / Soviet / Russian military (and other Eastern European soldiers) wrapped strips of cloth, known as “portyanki,” around their feet before strapping on their boots and going into battle.

More than a decade after the Russian Ministry of Defense abandoned the archaic foot covering, the Moscow Times reported on Monday that Rosgvardia, Russia’s National Guard, has finally recognized that a change of the obsolete item was necessary.

The collapse of ransomware giant LockBit has sparked scrutiny of Russia’s role, as its leader remains at large and cybercrime shifts to other rising hacker groups.

The sudden fall of a ransomware supplier once described as the world’s most harmful cybercrime group has raised questions about Moscow’s role in its development and the fate of its founder.

LockBit supplied ransomware to a global network of hackers, who used the services in recent years to attack thousands of targets worldwide and rake in tens of millions of dollars.

MoF extends offering of UAH bonds, NBU interventions down. Weekly Insight for May 26.

Bonds: MoF extends offering of UAH bonds

The Ministry of Finance updated the schedule of its bond auctions last Friday and added a four-year bond to the list. This may deepen the fragmentation of the bond trading further.

Last Tuesday, the MoF issued a EUR-denominated paper, which was oversubscribed and accounted for two-thirds of last week’s total proceeds for the state budget. Demand for UAH bonds remains fragmented, with most interest focused on the 15-month and three-year securities. Yields for UAH bonds stayed unchanged. 

Poland votes Sunday in a tight presidential runoff between pro-EU mayor Trzaskowski and nationalist Nawrocki, with polls showing a near tie and high stakes for Europe.

Poland votes on Sunday in a hotly contested presidential runoff that will pit the pro-EU Warsaw mayor against a nationalist historian in a tight race that could extend the political deadlock in the NATO member nation.

The two candidates -- Rafal Trzaskowski, backed by the ruling centrists, and Karol Nawrocki, a political novice supported by the opposition Law and Justice party -- are running neck-and-neck in opinion polls.

Tallinn said local politicians have attempted to create a paramilitary force disguised as a charity group to take over the government – with help from Russian Intelligence (GRU).

Estonia said it has unveiled a plan by locals to create a paramilitary force under the guise of a charitable organization to take over the government – with assistance from Russia’s Military Intelligence (GRU).

Estonian State Prosecutor Triinu Olev-Aas said that politician Aivo Peterson of the Koos political party, alongside a suspect called Dmitri Rootsi and leading figures of Koos such as Eduard Fedotov and Julia Smoli, tried to create a civil defense unit in 2022 with a parallel structure to the Estonian military.

Jake Broe tells Kyiv Post that battlefield losses, elite unrest, and sanctions are pushing Putin’s regime toward collapse in a war Russia may not be able to sustain for much longer.

Ukraine’s renewed long-range drone campaign is going after Russia’s weapons, components and explosive material manufacturing capability with some success.

Ukrainian drones attacked a military chemicals manufacturing site some 900 kilometers (562 miles) deep inside Russia during the early hours of Monday, sparking fires and sending a probable toxic smoke cloud billowing into a clear blue sky, as Kyiv’s campaign aimed at the Kremlin’s weapons and munitions manufacturing sites found another target.

The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) arrived in ones and twos in the airspace above Russia’s central Ivanovo region, striking the Dmitrievsky Chemical Factory (DCF) near Kineshma, south of Moscow, at around 4 a.m. Russian social media reported at least ten explosions, while images geo-located to the site showed fires and orange smoke consistent with its chemical storage being breached. Local chat groups complained of a nasty stink in the morning air.

Ukraine’s Prime Minister is expecting a positive decision, although independent policy analysts previously voiced doubts about Ukraine’s performance under the IMF program.

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reported that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is finalizing its work on the eighth review of the four-year, $15.5 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program for Kyiv.

Ukraine has already passed a record seven successful reviews of the program. 

While Trump repeatedly backs off on getting tough with Russia, Europe isn’t afraid to.

The world’s most boastful dealmaker was outmaneuvered by the world’s most murderous leader in a two-hour phone call on May 19.

Trump backed off his demand for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine and refused to impose draconian sanctions to end the war in Ukraine, allegedly because Putin dangled business opportunities before him.

Speaking at a meeting with business leaders on Monday, the Russian president claimed he had been forced to start his war in response to events in Ukraine.

According to Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti reporting on a meeting held by President Vladimir Putin with business leaders on Monday, Putin claimed he was left with no option in 2022 but to launch his so-called “special military operation (SVO)” – which most of the world calls a “war” – due to what was happening in Ukraine and the insincerity of the West.

“We didn’t organize the [2014] coup d’etat in Ukraine. We were constantly told all the time that elections and democracy were needed. Then a bloody coup d’etat was carried out – and that’s it.”

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its strikes were merely a “response” to Ukrainian drone attacks, blaming Kyiv and its European backers for undermining peace negotiations.

Moscow on Tuesday accused Kyiv of escalating air attacks to sabotage peace talks – just a day after launching what Ukraine says was the largest aerial bombardment of the war.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its strikes were merely a “response” to Ukrainian drone attacks, blaming Kyiv and its European backers for undermining negotiations that, according to Moscow, it is eager to advance.

Chechnya’s strongman Ramzan Kadyrov responded to recent rumors on his health with a video that neither confirmed nor denied the rumors, stating, “illness and death are the path of every person.”

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov responded to recent health rumors by releasing a video that says, “illness and death are the path of every person,” neither confirming nor denying the rumors.

Kadyrov purportedly asked Russian leader Vladimir Putin to relieve him of his duties recently amid growing speculations about his health and political future, but he later retracted the statement, saying he was misunderstood.

The comments from Germany’s vice chancellor on Tuesday came one day after the chancellor said there are “no longer any restrictions on the range of weapons that have been delivered to Ukraine.”

Berlin denied any change to Kyiv’s long-range strike policy on Tuesday, a day after Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared there were no remaining restrictions on Ukraine hitting targets inside Russia.

Merz said a similar decision has been made by the UK, US, and France without specifying when the decision was made, and German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil clarified on Tuesday that the decision was made long ago.

Fidan’s upcoming visit to Kyiv is seen as part of Ankara’s ongoing push to support dialogue between Russia and Ukraine.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is expected to travel to Kyiv later this week to meet Ukrainian officials and follow up on recent talks held in Istanbul, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said Monday.

Fidan is in Moscow for a two-day visit and met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, May 27, along with Russia’s lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky. He is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday.

Trump called Putin “crazy” over the weekend after Russia pummelled Ukraine with its largest drone attack since the start of its full-scale offensive, launched in February 2022.

The Kremlin said Tuesday that Donald Trump’s criticism of Vladimir Putin will not affect plans for a US-Russia prisoner exchange that the two presidents discussed in a call last week.

Trump called Putin “crazy” over the weekend after Russia pummelled Ukraine with its largest drone attack since the start of its full-scale offensive, launched in February 2022.

Moscow says it repelled a massive drone attack across multiple regions.Ukrainian authorities report Russian strikes on Sumy and the Dnipropetrovsk region caused fires and damage to homes and industry.

Russian air defense forces allegedly intercepted and destroyed 99 Ukrainian drones in the early hours of Tuesday, May 27, according to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry.

More than half of the drones - 56 - were reportedly downed over Belgorod Oblast. Another 25 were destroyed over Voronezh Oblast, seven over Vladimir Oblast, five over Kaluga, four over Tula, and one each over the Rostov and Lipetsk regions, per the report.

Trump’s criticism of Putin following Russia’s massive weekend strikes on Ukrainian cities, was followed by a fall in the Russian stock market of more than 2%.

Russia’s stock market fell by over 2% on Monday, May 27, after US President Donald Trump called Vladimir Putin “crazy” and voiced the possibility of new sanctions against Russia, the Moscow Times reported.  

In a post on his Truth Social media platform on Sunday, Trump wrote:“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!”

Ukraine Military Administration says Russian troops seized four border villages in Ukraine’s Sumy region as part of a wider push to create a “buffer zone,” but the AFU has halted further advance.

Russian forces have breached several border villages in Ukraine’s Sumy region, seizing parts of the Yunakivka and Khotin communities, but Ukrainian defense forces have halted further Kremlin advances, according to official.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) units are holding their positions and preventing further enemy advances, according to Oleg Hryhorov, head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration.

The proposed sanctions would not target Russia’s banking sector, the WSJ report said. Instead, they are aimed at pressuring Vladimir Putin to agree to a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump is considering new sanctions against Russia this week as he pushes for a ceasefire in Ukraine. This development comes as Trump said that Putin “has gone absolutely crazy” following Russia’s unprecedented three-day bombardment of Ukraine.

The proposed sanctions would not target Russia’s banking sector. Instead, they aim to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a 30-day ceasefire – a condition Trump has strongly supported. A final decision has not yet been made, and Trump could still choose not to move forward.

European states, including Poland, have accused Russia of orchestrating a wave of sabotage, cyberattacks and arson across the continent aimed at destabilizing the EU and NATO.

Latvia has called on all European Union states to suspend visas for Russian citizens amid growing concerns over a suspected Moscow-backed sabotage campaign across Europe.

European states, including Poland, have accused Russia of orchestrating a wave of sabotage, cyberattacks and arson across the continent aimed at destabilizing the EU and NATO.

In statements made on Sunday, Trump, who is facing increasing calls from Republican lawmakers to take a tougher stance against Putin, seemed to change his tone.

US President Donald Trump once more appears to be losing patience with Vladimir Putin’s Warfare in Ukraine, but it remains unclear whether he will actually toughen his stand against the Kremlin leader.

The Republican billionaire, who returned to office in January vowing to end the war “in 24 hours,” has long appeared to side with his Russian counterpart, frequently speaking of him with gushing admiration.

As Russia’s war on Ukraine drags on and doubts about continued US support arise Europe sees developing Ukraine’s defense industry will enhance both Kyiv’s and its own future security.

As the war in Ukraine portends a new world order where Europe has realized it no longer has the luxury of relying solely on the United States for protection it is moving quickly to help build out Ukraine’s defense industry to also strengthen Europe’s own security for the future.

At the center of this shift is the development of the innovative technology and tactics deriving from Ukraine’s use of drones on the battlefield – including its ability to produce them cheaply at scale – that is now reshaping how Europe prepares for a future confrontation with Russia.

US and German officials will discuss the next phase of Ukrainian support and Russian sanctions during meetings in Washington this week, including lifting range restrictions on interdiction in Russia.

WASHINGTON DC – The United States has not yet lifted all Joe Biden-era restrictions on Ukraine’s warfighting, but President Donald Trump is “seriously considering” to do so, two senior Western officials told Kyiv Post’s Washington correspondent on Monday, May 25.

“All the previously imposed restrictions – whether already eased or not – are currently under the review as President [Trump] believes that the current status-quo does not serve our common interests of bringing Russia to the [negotiation] table,” one official said without offering further details.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Russian forces conducted one of their largest drone and missile strikes of the war against Ukraine on the night of May 25 to 26, after three nights of record strikes. The May 25-26 strike is now the second largest combined strike of the war, after Russian forces conducted the largest combined strike on the night of May 24 to 25.
• Russia’s increased missile stockpiling, drone production, and drone adaptations demonstrate Russia’s commitment to achieving its war goals through military means in a protracted war in Ukraine.
• Ukrainian intelligence continues to assess that the Kremlin is committed to its war aim of achieving complete Ukrainian capitulation and is preparing for a potential future conflict with NATO — in line with ISW’s assessments.
• Ukrainian intelligence also assessed that Russia is facing a number of critical constraints in its economy and on the battlefield — in line with ISW’s ongoing assessments.
• Russia’s own defense industrial production limitations are pushing Russia to rely on its allies and partners and to find cheap solutions to adapt to Ukraine’s drone and counter-drone capabilities.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent demand for Russian forces to create a “buffer zone” along the Russia-Ukraine international border, in addition to Russia’s ongoing efforts to seize the remainder of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson oblasts, ignores Russia’s constraints and underscores Putin’s intention to increase his territorial demands.
• Ukrainian forces conducted a series of drone strikes against Russian defense industrial enterprises in the Republic of Tatarstan and Ivanovo and Tula oblasts on May 25 and 26.
• The Kremlin’s ongoing cognitive warfare effort aimed at preventing future Western military assistance to Ukraine is rooted in fear and the acknowledgement that Russia’s only real hope in defeating Ukraine is by isolating Ukraine from its allies.
• Russian forces recently advanced in Sumy Oblast and near Vovchansk, Lyman, and Toretsk.

Many Western firms left Russia or significantly wound down their activities in the country after Moscow launched its military offensive on Ukraine.

Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin on Monday threatened to “throttle” Western firms remaining in Russia and acting against its interests, as part of Moscow’s effort to beef up domestic software development. 

“We need to throttle them. I completely agree, and I say this without hesitation,” he said in response to a businessman’s call to curb the activities of US tech companies Zoom and Microsoft, which currently provide only limited services in Russia.

Ambassador Michael Carpenter tells Kyiv Post that US President Donald Trump’s condemning Russia’s violence without doing anything about it ‘simply begets more violence.’

WASHINGTON DC – Former US President Joe Biden’s top national security aide on Europe on Monday urged the White House to respond to Russia’s latest attacks in Ukraine by action, not words only.

“Condemning Russia’s violence without doing anything about it simply begets more violence,” Ambassador Michael Carpenter, who served as Senior Director for Europe at the National Security Council under the Biden White House, told Kyiv Post’s Washington correspondent.

The commander-in-chief who used family connections to avoid service during the Vietnam War, and who called KIA soldiers “suckers,” used a day dedicated to remembering heroes to advance his own agenda.

“All gave some and some gave all” is an often-repeated phrase in America during Memorial Day, a quote attributed to Korean War veteran and purple heart recipient Howard William Osterkamp, who served in the US Army from 1951 to 1953.

US President Donald Trump, who avoided military conscription a reported five times during the Vietnam War, and whose former lawyer has said made up his deformities to do so, managed instead to give a speech on Memorial Day that lashed out at his political adversaries on a day meant to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.