Russian forces launched an attack across the Ukrainian border north of Kharkiv, potentially aiming to open a new front in the war that has long been waged in the country’s east and south. Ukraine sent reinforcements as fighting occurred along the Russian border of the region, the defense ministry said, adding that Russia had pounded the frontier town of Vovchansk with guided aerial bombs and artillery. “At approximately 5 a.m., there was an attempt by the enemy to break through our defense line using armored vehicles,” the Ukrainian defense ministry shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on ..read more

VENICE, Italy — The yearly package of €3 billion raised from profits on frozen Russian assets is “almost nothing” in the context of Ukraine’s war needs, Justice Minister Denys Maliuska told POLITICO. The EU on Wednesday approved a plan to use the profits generated by investing frozen Russian assets in Europe — worth between €2.5 billion and €3 billion per year — to buy weapons for Ukraine. However, as Ukraine grapples with shortages of ammunition, the country’s justice minister was critical of how far those funds could go. “If we are talking about the needs of Ukraine and the needs of the ..read more

The United States will announce a new $400 million military aid package for Ukraine on Friday, just as it appears Russia has launched a major offensive in Kharkiv, according to two U.S. officials and a notification sent to Congress obtained by POLITICO ..read more

After being sworn in for a fifth time as president of Russia earlier this week, Vladimir Putin has chosen to reappoint a loyal technocrat as his head of government, signaling a commitment to stability over reform. Putin’s reappointment of Mikhail Mishustin, 58, as prime minister is part of a planned government reshuffle in the wake of the autocrat’s inauguration earlier this week for a third consecutive term.  Putin’s choice was announced on Friday morning  by Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the Duma or lower house of the Russian parliament, on Telegram. The Duma approved the appointm ..read more

Vladimir Putin is having a good week.  After being sworn in as his country’s president for a fifth term, he was treated to a military parade on what is presumably his favorite holiday of the year.  Thursday’s Victory Day resembled less a tribute to the Soviet Union’s costly World War II triumph over Nazi Germany — in which around 27 million Soviet citizens died — than a rehearsal for a dreamed-of future victory over Ukraine and its backers.  In a speech on Red Square, Putin accused the West of escalation and of wanting “to forget the lessons” of World War II, while himself boast ..read more

Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the West — including the Ukraine he invaded in 2014 and 2022 — for “distorting history,” in a speech marking the 79th anniversary of the allied victory over Nazi Germany. In an annual parade that was short of pre-war pomp — only one tank, a World War Two-era T-34 model — led the march, Putin used the event to slam Russia’s enemies and to warn darkly of his country’s powerful nuclear arsenal. Speaking on the same day in Vilnius, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned of the danger posed by Russia. Putin leaned heavily on the memory of the Sov ..read more

Mykola Solskyi, Ukraine’s agriculture minister, and Deputy PM and Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov were dismissed by Ukraine’s parliament Thursday. Solskyi had been in the cabinet of Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal since 2022 while Kubrakov was in government since 2021. Ukraine’s anti-corruption office alleged in April that Solskyi had been involved in the illegal acquisition of 291 million hryvnias (€6.9 million) worth of state-owned land. Days later, the agriculture minister was arrested and subsequently released on a 75.7 million hryvnias bail. Solskyi denied the allegation ..read more

KYIV — In an attempt to bolster troop ranks, the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday passed a bill on the voluntary mobilization of convicts for the country’s war with Russia. However, those who committed serious crimes including murder, rape, terrorism, dealing drugs and treason, will be ineligible to trade their jail terms for the defense of their country. So, what’s in it for the convicts? If they decide to mobilize, local courts may grant them conditional early release in exchange for their military service, on the basis of a contract. Thereafter, they will be returned to prison only if they ..read more

LONDON — The British government will expel Russia’s London defense attaché after accusing him of spying for the Kremlin. In a statement in the House of Commons Wednesday, Home Secretary James Cleverly branded the diplomat an “undeclared military intelligence officer” — and said he is being expelled as part of a wider clampdown on “malign activity.” It’s the latest move in a tit-for-tat diplomatic row that saw Russian impose its own restrictions on the U.K. embassy in Moscow. In a release Wednesday, the British government also pointed to a host cyber security breaches attributed to the Russian ..read more

KYIV — Russia pummeled Ukrainian energy infrastructure early Wednesday morning, as the Kremlin geared up to celebrate the May 9 Victory Day holiday that traditionally marks the Soviet triumph over Nazi Germany, but has more recently become emblematic of the war on Ukraine. Ukraine’s Air Force reported shooting down 39 of the 55 missiles fired at several of its regions, and 20 of the 21 Shahed drones launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces. “On Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II Day, Nazi Putin launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine,” the country’s Pres ..read more