"According to the participants of the performances, their goal is to remind the civilized world of the barbaric actions of Moscow, which for many years and decades has systematically violated international law," a source in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent.
"I have great hope that an agreement for a ceasefire in Ukraine will be reached this weekend," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on May 9, shortly before traveling to Kyiv alongside the leaders of France, Poland, and the U.K.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will arrive in Kyiv early on May 10.
The United States embassy in Kyiv on May 9 issued a warning that Russia could launch "a potentially significant" attack in the coming days, despite Putin's self-declared Victory Day "truce."
The sanctioned oil tankers have transported over $24 billion in cargo since 2024, according to Downing Street. The U.K. has now sanctioned more shadow fleet vessels than any other country.
Washington and its partners are considering additional sanctions if the parties do not observe a ceasefire, with political and technical negotiations between Europe and the U.S. intensifying since last week, Reuters' source said.
The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
Rustem Umerov stands in the Ukrainian parliament during voting on his nomination as the Ukrainian defense minister in Kyiv on Sept. 6, 2023. (Andrii Nesterenko/AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has confirmed it is investigating possible abuses of power by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, the agency's director Semen Kryvonos said at a press conference on Feb. 10.
A "pre-trial investigation" was launched after Umerov dismissed Marina Bezrukova from her post as director of the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) and appointed Arsen Zhumadilov in her place, prompting the Anti-Corruption Action Center (ANTAC) to file a complaint with NABU.
"The pre-trial investigation is ongoing, and all the circumstances are being determined — whether there is a crime or not, whether there are perpetrators or not," Kryvonos said.
"I would not say that criminal proceedings have been initiated against anyone. It was initiated based on a complaint about possible abuses," he added.
NABU launched the pre-trial investigation on Jan. 28.
The dismissal of Bezrukova followed a week of escalating tensions between the ministry and the DPA.
On Jan. 21, the DPA supervisory board voted unanimously to extend Bezrukova's contract for another year. According to Ukrainian law, supervisory boards have the authority to hire and fire the heads of state enterprises unilaterally.
But due to amendments recently made to the agency's charter by the Defense Ministry, which oversees the DPA, the ministry can reverse the supervisory board's decisions.
Umerov overruled the board's decision on Jan. 24, saying he would not renew Bezrukova's contract as head of the DPA. He cited allegedly unsatisfactory results as the reason and appointed Zhumadilov, who also manages the State Logistics Operator (DOT).
Anti-corruption activists and lawmakers say the amendments and Umerov's decision are unlawful. ANTAC accused the Defense Ministry of a "hostile takeover," alleging it manipulated the state enterprise register to "legitimize" Zhumadilov's appointment.
Following Umerov's move, DPA declared that it continues to operate under Bezrukova's leadership. Bezrukova took over the agency in January 2024, and her contract expires at the end of January 2025.
Umerov also dismissed two agency supervisory board members, Taras Chmut and Yuriy Dzhygyr.
President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the situation on Feb. 2, saying that the defense minister has the right to do everything to ensure that supplies do not slow down.
According to Ukrainian law, if officials have abused their power or position in a manner leading to "serious consequences," they are punishable by imprisonment for three to six years and disqualified from holding certain positions or engaging in certain activities for up to three years.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Kateryna Hodunova
