On 22 May 2026, a Russian FPV drone deliberately targeted a funeral procession on the outskirts of Sumy, Ukraine, killing one man and wounding nine others. The operator saw the mourners in real-time and steered the drone into the roadway next to a bus carrying the procession. The attack occurred on the same day Ukraine's Prosecutor General released cumulative documentation of over 11,000 small-drone attacks on civilians since 2024. Sumy Oblast has been consistently targeted in Russia's drone campaign against civilians.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky enacted a new sanctions package targeting 127 Russian military commanders accused of directing missile strikes against Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure, including the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv and a residential building in Ternopil. The package also sanctions 29 civilian cargo vessels allegedly used to transport military equipment and personnel for Russia's war effort, many already under US, EU, and UK sanctions. Ukraine plans to coordinate additional restrictions with international partners.

Background: On May 15, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree simplifying Russian citizenship for residents of Moldova's breakaway Transnistria region, exempting them from residency, language, and history requirements. Moldovan and Ukrainian leaders condemned the move as a mobilization tactic and territorial claim. Today: A new analysis reveals that most Transnistrian residents already hold Russian passports, making the decree primarily a strategic signal. Ukrainian President Zelensky stated Russia is 'designating the territory of Transnistria as effectively its own.' Russia's State Duma recently approved legislation expanding presidential authority to deploy armed forces abroad to 'protect Russian citizens,' and Russian diplomats have intensified contacts with Transnistrian authorities. The article highlights Transnistria's strategic location near Ukraine's Odesa region and Danube corridor, and notes Moldova's shift toward technocratic reintegration with EU support for Russian troop withdrawal. Russia's upcoming 2026 parliamentary elections add domestic political value to the passport decree.

Background: The Netherlands has been pushing the EU to renew talks on using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, amid concerns that the existing €90 billion loan covers only part of Ukraine's needs. Today: Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys, speaking at the GLOBSEC forum in Prague, called for Europe to return frozen Russian sovereign assets to the political agenda, arguing they are the real resource for Ukraine and leverage to force Russia to negotiate. He said the loan deal postponed the issue but it should now be revived. Budrys reiterated that the €90 billion loan was a useful but insufficient step, and that the assets remain the real resource and leverage. He noted that the issue was postponed after legal and political hurdles but insisted it is not closed.

A fire broke out at the Sheskharis oil terminal in the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk early Saturday, which regional officials attributed to falling drone debris. The terminal, operated by a Transneft subsidiary, is a major export hub for oil and petroleum products. Emergency services responded to the blaze affecting several technical and administrative buildings. This incident follows a pattern of Russian claims of drone debris causing fires at energy infrastructure.

Analysts argue that the West must take five concrete steps to secure a sustainable peace in Ukraine: continue military aid, deploy European troops as a deterrent, maintain US support for intelligence and nuclear umbrella, convince Putin he cannot win by cutting Russian gas and supplying Ukraine with weapons, and create a European defense union with nuclear deterrence. German Chancellor Merz has proposed applying the EU's mutual defense clause to Ukraine before formal membership.

Russian drones struck a multi-storey residential building and an office building in Shakhtarske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, overnight on 22-23 May. Emergency services evacuated 25 residents, including five children; no casualties were reported. The attack was part of a larger Russian UAV assault involving 124 drones, of which Ukraine's Air Force said 102 were shot down or jammed. Additionally, a house was damaged in the Kryvyi Rih district.

In an interview, former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba argues that Ukraine has already achieved a strategic victory by surviving as a sovereign state, but the war will not end with a comprehensive negotiated settlement. He discusses the need for a stabilized front line and severe economic pressure on Russia, the erosion of the rules-based order, China's calculated balance, and Europe's insufficient but growing response. He warns that without 10 years of internal peace, Ukraine risks becoming like Lebanon.

Kyiv Post gained rare access to Ukraine's 21st Unmanned Systems Regiment 'Lava' in Kharkiv region, observing operations of Leleka reconnaissance drones and Bulava loitering munitions. Operators described deep strikes against Russian logistics, communications, and command infrastructure, with drones capable of reaching Belgorod. The unit uses autonomous evasive systems to counter Russian interceptor drones, and coordinates via encrypted video links and relay drones for extended range.

At the GLOBSEC forum in Prague, Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not interested in serious peace talks and called on Europe and Ukraine's partners to increase economic pressure on Russia to force negotiations. She emphasized that continued support for Ukraine is the only path to peace and warned European countries to prepare for Russian hybrid warfare, including cyberattacks, disinformation, and destabilization funding. Sandu also highlighted a recent Russian decree simplifying citizenship for residents of Transnistria, which she said could be used to conscript people for the war against Ukraine.

Background: Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War briefed African journalists on Russia's recruitment of foreign mercenaries, presenting data on over 28,000 foreign fighters. Today, Ukrainian authorities report holding foreign nationals from over 30 countries captured while fighting for Russia. In a camp near Lviv, prisoners claim they were misled or coerced into enlisting. Several Asian and African governments accuse Russia of using deceptive methods to recruit individuals for the front lines.

The article analyzes the evolution of Central Europe, particularly the Visegrád Group, from a bloc seeking EU/NATO membership to one now defining itself by its stance on Ukraine's accession. Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar's visit to Poland highlights the region's divisions: Poland supports Ukraine, while Hungary and Slovakia have obstructed aid and accession. The piece examines how Ukraine's wartime centrality has reshaped regional dynamics and the challenges for Magyar in balancing domestic skepticism with European integration.

Authorities in Russian-occupied Sevastopol have imposed gasoline sales limits of 20 liters per vehicle due to logistical difficulties, leading to long queues and panic buying. Diesel fuel is being distributed via a coupon system. The shortages follow repeated logistical disruptions in Crimea during Russia's war against Ukraine, including a recent fire at an oil terminal in Novorossiysk blamed on drone debris.

An opinion piece argues that Ukraine is undergoing a systemic transformation beyond the corruption narrative, highlighting the Diia digital ecosystem serving 23 million citizens, the resilience of SMEs accounting for 99% of businesses, and the integration of mental health support into economic policy. It notes that women founded 61% of new individual businesses in 2025 and that Ukraine's IT sector generates $6.45 billion in annual exports, positioning the country as a laboratory for adaptation under extreme pressure.