Travel, property, and local info for Ukraine

6+ min ago (729+ words) A high-level US'Ukraine check-in lands the same day Washington cracks down on oligarch gatekeepers ' and Congress grows restless on sanctions. Bessent used the conversation ' detailed in synchronized social media posts from both officials ' to highlight the administration's latest measures targeting Lukoil and Rosneft, which he framed as part of Trump's "bold, decisive leadership." He also emphasized the need for Kyiv to maintain momentum on reform and anti-corruption efforts, describing them as essential to unlocking long-term economic stability. Svyrydenko, in turn, welcomed the latest sanctions, calling them "effective" in cutting revenues that finance Russia's war. She also noted that the US'Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund is now "rapidly becoming an effective instrument" for mobilizing American capital, with the appointment of Alvarez & Marsal allowing the fund to move into its "decisive stage." The next steps, she noted, involve identifying priority projects and "turning…...

30+ min ago (178+ words) 10 December 2025, KYIV: UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is delighted to announce that Ukrainian NGO the Humanitarian Mission Proliska is this year's regional Europe winner of the Nansen Award 2025. This award is not only a well-deserved recognition of Proliska, their entire staff and vital work " it is also a powerful acknowledgement of the tireless efforts and essential work of civil society across Ukraine. It honors the numerous NGOs, volunteers and communities whose critical contributions continue to shape and strengthen the humanitarian and recovery response during the full-scale war. Proliska has been UNHCR's NGO partner since 2016 following the beginning of the war in 2014 and throughout Russia's full-scale invasion. Remaining operational across the most heavily affected areas, currently the organization works across 13 regions with a staff of some 1,000 people. The Nansen awards are made possible thanks to generous support from the Governments of…...

1+ hour, 10+ min ago (1253+ words) President Volodymyr Zelensky has named five potential candidates to replace Andriy Yermak as his chief of staff. Kyiv Post has prepared a brief overview of each of them. President Volodymyr Zelensky named five officials on Monday as potential replacements for Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff for the Presidential Office, who resigned in late November. Kyiv Post previously described the Presidential Office's function in detail " in particular, why it holds immense power over the executive branch. The head of the Presidential Office is more than a secretary or aide. They act like a second prime minister, answerable not to the parliament but only to the president, and play a crucial role in executing presidential powers " especially during wartime. Under martial law and with a relatively weak parliament, the head of the Presidential Office wields even greater authority. Historically, the agency's…...

1+ hour, 16+ min ago (469+ words) Law enforcement officers have uncovered a scheme to sell decommissioned warships with losses to the state of over UAH 900,000, the National Police of Ukraine has said. Defense official and two retail workers caught selling off old warships Law enforcement officers have uncovered a scheme to sell decommissioned warships with losses to the state of over UAH 900,000, the National Police of Ukraine has said. "Law enforcement officers have established that one of the officials of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, together with two representatives of the authorized enterprise of the State Enterprise Ukrspetstorg, organized the illegal sale of six sea vessels, decommissioned from the balance of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine due to unsatisfactory technical condition and obsolescence, which were subject to disposal in accordance with the procedure established by law," the report on the department's…...

1+ hour, 53+ min ago (366+ words) Pope Leo XIV believes that US President Donald Trump is weakening the "true alliance between Europe and the United States" with his actions, Sky news reports. Trump is trying to weaken USA-Europe alliance " Pope Leo Pope Leo XIV believes that US President Donald Trump is weakening the "true alliance between Europe and the United States" with his actions, Sky news reports. Pope Leo XIV commented on Donald Trump's recent statements, where he said that Europe is in decline and has weak leaders. "Unfortunately, some parts [of the peace plan] I have seen make a huge change in what was, for many years, a true alliance between Europe and the United States," he added. He then directly referred to the US president: "So this is a program that President Trump and his advisers have developed. He is the president of the…...

2+ hour, 10+ min ago (628+ words) All officials involved in the corruption scandal in the energy sector should be dismissed from their posts and held accountable, and the corruption money should be returned to the budget and directed to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, MP of Ukraine, leader of the European Solidarity party Petro Poroshenko believes. Poroshenko initiates transfer of funds from energy corruption schemes to military All officials involved in the corruption scandal in the energy sector should be dismissed from their posts and held accountable, and the corruption money should be returned to the budget and directed to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, MP of Ukraine, leader of the European Solidarity party Petro Poroshenko believes. "The budget law has been adopted. I emphasize once again that it was adopted contrary to the position of the European Solidarity faction....

2+ hour, 15+ min ago (261+ words) Pope Leo XIV has called for continued dialogue to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, Reuters reported, citing the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV calls for continued dialogue to achieve just peace in Ukraine - media Pope Leo XIV has called for continued dialogue to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, Reuters reported, citing the Vatican. The statement came after the pontiff met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo near Rome. The pope "reaffirmed the need to continue the dialogue and expressed his urgent desire that the current diplomatic initiatives lead to a just and lasting peace," the Vatican said in a statement after the meeting. "In addition, the issues of prisoners of war and the need to ensure the return of Ukrainian children to their families were also discussed,…...

2+ hour, 20+ min ago (192+ words) Ukrainian defense forces neutralized 50 enemy drones on the night of Wednesday, but the fall of downed debris was recorded at seven locations, the press service of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. "According to preliminary data, as of 09:00, air defense shot down/suppressed 50 enemy UAVs of the Shahed, Gerbera type and drones of other types in the south and east of the country. Hits of 29 attack UAVs were recorded at 7 locations," the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Telegram. It is noted that on the night of December 10 (from 18:00 on December 9), the enemy attacked with 80 attack UAVs of the Shahed, Gerbera type and drones of other types, about 50 of them " Shahed UAVs. "The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare and unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups…...

2+ hour, 29+ min ago (299+ words) Ukrainian troops were able to regain control of 13 square kilometers of the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region out of 29, despite the fact that in the fall there were no Defense Forces at all, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky has said. No Ukrainian troops in Pokrovsk in autumn; now they control nearly half of city " Syrsky Ukrainian troops were able to regain control of 13 square kilometers of the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region out of 29, despite the fact that in the fall there were no Defense Forces at all, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky has said. During a conversation with the media on Tuesday, he said that in the future it is planned to increase the number of Ukrainian troops in the city. At the same time, the commander-in-chief emphasized that…...

2+ hour, 42+ min ago (510+ words) President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the issue of appointing the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine is not a priority against the backdrop of issues related to the war, and joked that it is easier to liquidate the Office itself than to appoint its head. Zelenskyy: It feels easier to liquidate President's Office than replace Yermak President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the issue of appointing the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine is not a priority against the backdrop of issues related to the war, and joked that it is easier to liquidate the Office itself than to appoint its head. "As for the reboot of the Office, again the question of the head of the Office, there are many such questions. Honestly, I will tell you frankly, today there…...