Channel: The Kyiv Independent
⚡️ New Zealand announces new sanctions over Russia's war on Ukraine.
New Zealand announced on May 16 a new package of sanctions against 28 individuals and 14 entities over their support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The restrictions target actors purportedly involved in the transfer of North Korean arms to Russia for use against Ukraine and Iranian actors providing military assistance to Moscow. The sanctions also target those facilitating the abduction of Ukrainian children to Russia and Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
New Zealand announced on May 16 a new package of sanctions against 28 individuals and 14 entities over their support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The restrictions target actors purportedly involved in the transfer of North Korean arms to Russia for use against Ukraine and Iranian actors providing military assistance to Moscow. The sanctions also target those facilitating the abduction of Ukrainian children to Russia and Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
Ukraine Business Roundup — (Not) getting away with murder
In this week's of Ukraine Business Roundup: businesses and industries will face more restrictions in energy use due to "significant shortages of electricity” amid Russian attacks.
Meanwhile, the Prosecutor General’s Office officially suspects oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky of ordering the murder of a lawyer back in 2003.
Photo: Genya Savilov/AFP
In this week's of Ukraine Business Roundup: businesses and industries will face more restrictions in energy use due to "significant shortages of electricity” amid Russian attacks.
Meanwhile, the Prosecutor General’s Office officially suspects oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky of ordering the murder of a lawyer back in 2003.
Photo: Genya Savilov/AFP
⚡️ Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 4, injure 41 over past day.
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed four people and injured 41 over the past day, regional authorities said on May 16.
Russia targeted a total of 10 Ukrainian oblasts — Sumy, Luhansk, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson. Casualties were reported in the latter five regions.
Photo: Oleh Syniehubov/Telegram
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed four people and injured 41 over the past day, regional authorities said on May 16.
Russia targeted a total of 10 Ukrainian oblasts — Sumy, Luhansk, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson. Casualties were reported in the latter five regions.
Photo: Oleh Syniehubov/Telegram
Slovak PM shooting – everything we know so far about the assassination attempt on Robert Fico.
Slovakia was rocked on May 15 when the country's prime minister was shot in an assassination attempt as he left a government meeting in the town of Handlova.
Footage from the scene shows the suspected gunman among a small group of people on the street behind a metal barrier waiting to meet Fico, who is flanked by several members of his security detail.
Read the full story here.
Photo: Milan Jaros/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Slovakia was rocked on May 15 when the country's prime minister was shot in an assassination attempt as he left a government meeting in the town of Handlova.
Footage from the scene shows the suspected gunman among a small group of people on the street behind a metal barrier waiting to meet Fico, who is flanked by several members of his security detail.
Read the full story here.
Photo: Milan Jaros/Bloomberg via Getty Images
⚡️Military: Ukraine has not lost ground near Robotyne in Zaporizhizhia Oblast.
Ukrainian troops have not lost ground near the village of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Dmytro Lykhovii, the General Staff's spokesperson, said on national television on May 16.
His statement came after the Russian Defense Ministry had claimed the capture of Robotyne the day before. Recent days saw an escalation of hostilities in the sector.
Ukrainian troops have not lost ground near the village of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Dmytro Lykhovii, the General Staff's spokesperson, said on national television on May 16.
His statement came after the Russian Defense Ministry had claimed the capture of Robotyne the day before. Recent days saw an escalation of hostilities in the sector.
⚡️ FT: EU to freeze Georgia's membership bid if 'foreign agents' law enacted.
The EU will freeze Georgia's membership bid if it enacts its controversial "foreign agents" law, the Financial Times (FT) reported on May 15, citing three undisclosed EU officials.
Georgia's parliament passed the bill in its third and final reading on May 14.
The EU will freeze Georgia's membership bid if it enacts its controversial "foreign agents" law, the Financial Times (FT) reported on May 15, citing three undisclosed EU officials.
Georgia's parliament passed the bill in its third and final reading on May 14.
⚡️General Staff: Ukraine thwarts Russia's attempts to gain foothold in Vovchansk.
Ukrainian troops thwarted Russia's plans to gain a foothold in deeper urban areas in the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine's General Staff reported on May 16.
Ukrainian units continue to conduct combat missions within the urban area of Vovchansk's northern outskirts, keeping Russian soldiers under fire control, according to the General Staff.
Ukrainian troops thwarted Russia's plans to gain a foothold in deeper urban areas in the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine's General Staff reported on May 16.
Ukrainian units continue to conduct combat missions within the urban area of Vovchansk's northern outskirts, keeping Russian soldiers under fire control, according to the General Staff.
⚡️ Polish parliament's lower house passes law amendments on Ukrainian refugees.
Sejm, the lower chamber of Poland's parliament, supported on May 15 amendments to the law on Ukrainian refugees, which include several changes and extend their protection until Sep. 30, 2025.
Sejm, the lower chamber of Poland's parliament, supported on May 15 amendments to the law on Ukrainian refugees, which include several changes and extend their protection until Sep. 30, 2025.
⚡️ Official: Ukraine's civil service suffering 'catastrophic' shortage of people.
Ukraine's civil service is suffering from a "catastrophic shortage" of people at both the state and local level, the head of the National Agency for Civil Service, Nataliia Aliushyna, said on May 15.
"We have a catastrophic lack of specialists... Our goal is to attract qualified personnel and be able to retain them through competitive wages," Aliushyna said at an online conference called "Two Years of War: Consequences and Prospects."
Ukraine's civil service is suffering from a "catastrophic shortage" of people at both the state and local level, the head of the National Agency for Civil Service, Nataliia Aliushyna, said on May 15.
"We have a catastrophic lack of specialists... Our goal is to attract qualified personnel and be able to retain them through competitive wages," Aliushyna said at an online conference called "Two Years of War: Consequences and Prospects."
⚡️Source: Ukrainian drones attack Russian defense manufacturer's facilities in Tula.
Drones operated by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) hit production facilities of the state-owned Russian weapons manufacturing company "Basalt" in the city of Tula overnight on May 16, a military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent.
Drones operated by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) hit production facilities of the state-owned Russian weapons manufacturing company "Basalt" in the city of Tula overnight on May 16, a military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent.
⚡️Zelensky in Kharkiv: Situation 'difficult' but 'under control,' Russia suffers losses.
President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Kharkiv on May 16 and received reports from military commanders on the battlefield situation in the oblast.
"As of today, the situation in Kharkiv Oblast is generally under control, our soldiers are inflicting significant losses" on Russian troops, Zelensky said.
"However, the situation remains difficult, we are reinforcing our units."
Photo: President Volodymyr Zelensky/Telegram
President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Kharkiv on May 16 and received reports from military commanders on the battlefield situation in the oblast.
"As of today, the situation in Kharkiv Oblast is generally under control, our soldiers are inflicting significant losses" on Russian troops, Zelensky said.
"However, the situation remains difficult, we are reinforcing our units."
Photo: President Volodymyr Zelensky/Telegram
⚡️ Minister: Russia captures, executes civilians in northern Vovchansk.
Russian forces are taking Ukrainian civilians captive and preventing their evacuation in the embattled northern part of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on May 16.
"We know of first cases of executions of civilians by the Russian military," Klymenko said on his Telegram channel.
Russian forces are taking Ukrainian civilians captive and preventing their evacuation in the embattled northern part of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on May 16.
"We know of first cases of executions of civilians by the Russian military," Klymenko said on his Telegram channel.
⚡️ Russian attacks on Kherson, Donetsk oblasts kill 1, injure 9.
Russian troops attacked the village of Mykhailivka in Donetsk Oblast and the Beryslav district in Kherson Oblast on May 16, killing one person and injuring nine, according to prosecutors.
Photo: Kherson Oblast Prosecutor's Office
Russian troops attacked the village of Mykhailivka in Donetsk Oblast and the Beryslav district in Kherson Oblast on May 16, killing one person and injuring nine, according to prosecutors.
Photo: Kherson Oblast Prosecutor's Office
⚡️ Xi claims Beijing, Moscow want 'political solution' to Russia-Ukraine war.
Chinese President Xi Jinping claimed on May 16 that he and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin both agree that a "political solution" to the war in Ukraine is "the correct direction."
Speaking on May 16 at a press conference during Putin's two-day visit to China, the pair put on a united front and cast themselves as partners opposed to a Western, U.S.-led world order.
Chinese President Xi Jinping claimed on May 16 that he and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin both agree that a "political solution" to the war in Ukraine is "the correct direction."
Speaking on May 16 at a press conference during Putin's two-day visit to China, the pair put on a united front and cast themselves as partners opposed to a Western, U.S.-led world order.
⚡️Netherlands' incoming coalition government reaffirms support for Ukraine.
The incoming Dutch government led by Geert Wilders' far-right PVV party has reaffirmed support for Ukraine "politically, militarily, financially, and morally against Russian aggression," it said in a statement on May 16.
"Political and military cooperation with NATO is paramount for our international security," the joint statement read.
"The Netherlands continues to support Ukraine politically, militarily, financially, and morally against Russian aggression."
The incoming Dutch government led by Geert Wilders' far-right PVV party has reaffirmed support for Ukraine "politically, militarily, financially, and morally against Russian aggression," it said in a statement on May 16.
"Political and military cooperation with NATO is paramount for our international security," the joint statement read.
"The Netherlands continues to support Ukraine politically, militarily, financially, and morally against Russian aggression."
⚡️PM's advisor: Power cuts in Ukraine may last until August.
Power outages in Ukraine may last until August, Yurii Boiko, an advisor to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, said at a press conference in Kyiv on May 16.
"If we talk about the (power supply) restrictions that started a day ago, we will have to live in these conditions, according to my estimates, until August," Boiko said, adding that they started earlier due to the cold snap.
Power outages in Ukraine may last until August, Yurii Boiko, an advisor to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, said at a press conference in Kyiv on May 16.
"If we talk about the (power supply) restrictions that started a day ago, we will have to live in these conditions, according to my estimates, until August," Boiko said, adding that they started earlier due to the cold snap.
⚡️ Russian cluster munition attack on Kharkiv Oblast injures 5, including Vovchansk official.
Russian forces attacked a village of Vovchansk community in Kharkiv Oblast with cluster munitions on May 16, injuring five people, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Tamaz Gambarashvili, the head of the Vovchansk City Military Administration, two medics, and two drivers are reportedly among the injured.
Russian forces attacked a village of Vovchansk community in Kharkiv Oblast with cluster munitions on May 16, injuring five people, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Tamaz Gambarashvili, the head of the Vovchansk City Military Administration, two medics, and two drivers are reportedly among the injured.
⚡️Update: Russian attack on Kharkiv kills two.
A Russian attack on Kharkiv Oblast killed two women on May 16, the Kharkiv Oblast Office of the Prosecutor General reported on Telegram.
A Russian attack on Kharkiv Oblast killed two women on May 16, the Kharkiv Oblast Office of the Prosecutor General reported on Telegram.
⚡Zelensky: Ukraine can prevent occupation of Kharkiv with 2 Patriot systems.
Ukraine cannot afford to lose the city of Kharkiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky told in an interview with ABC News on May 16, calling the situation "very serious."
At the same time, Zelensky said that Ukraine could prevent Russia from occupying the city with two additional Patriot anti-air systems.
Ukraine cannot afford to lose the city of Kharkiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky told in an interview with ABC News on May 16, calling the situation "very serious."
At the same time, Zelensky said that Ukraine could prevent Russia from occupying the city with two additional Patriot anti-air systems.
Opinion: Ukraine’s naval drones are taking over the Black Sea
"Russian forces have encountered a new enemy in the Black Sea: Ukraine’s arsenal of naval kamikaze drones. These deceptively small unmanned vehicles have targeted Russia’s Black Sea Fleet since September 2022, picking off Russian battleships one by one," writes military historian Andrii Kharuk in this guest op-ed.
Photo: Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine
"Russian forces have encountered a new enemy in the Black Sea: Ukraine’s arsenal of naval kamikaze drones. These deceptively small unmanned vehicles have targeted Russia’s Black Sea Fleet since September 2022, picking off Russian battleships one by one," writes military historian Andrii Kharuk in this guest op-ed.
Photo: Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine
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