- Aug 29
Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov joins Italian Defence Ministry as innovation adviser
Mykhailo Fedorov has agreed to advise Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on drones, unmanned systems and air defence technologies while remaining based in Kyiv.
- Aug 26
Ukraine awards Elon Musk Order of Freedom as Kyiv seeks Starlink access inside Russia
President Volodymyr Zelensky conferred Ukraine's Order of Freedom on Elon Musk by decree on Wednesday, as Kyiv lobbies SpaceX to enable Starlink satellite internet across the Russian border for strikes on ballistic missile launchers.
- Aug 24
EU approves €6.1 billion military aid tranche for Ukrainian air defence
The European Commission approved 6.1 billion euros in military loans on Ukraine's Independence Day, funding air defence systems, ammunition, and radars.
- Aug 24
Volodymyr Zelensky rejects wartime elections following appeal from dismissed defence minister
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that organizing elections during the war would divide the country, rebuffing calls from former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
- Aug 23
Zelensky rejects wartime elections and warns Russia plans to mobilize 300,000 troops
Speaking to reporters on 23 August 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected calls by Mykhailo Fedorov for wartime voting, while warning that Moscow seeks 300,000 recruits after September to advance in Donetsk.
- Aug 19
Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov Calls for Wartime Elections
Mykhailo Fedorov published an address warning of a systemic governance crisis and demanding legal mechanisms to allow Ukrainian citizens to vote during the ongoing Russian invasion.
- Aug 7
Zelensky would lose to three rivals in hypothetical runoff, Socis poll finds
A Socis survey of 2,000 Ukrainians shows President Zelensky would lead a hypothetical first round but lose every second-round matchup to Zaluzhnyi, Budanov, and Fedorov, while ranking sixth in personal trust.
- Jul 29
Russia claims 200,000 new volunteers for Ukraine war as Zelenskyy secures Patriot pledge from Trump
Moscow says it met personnel needs without conscription, while Kyiv and Washington agree to revive peace talks and Trump promises Patriot missile licenses.
- Jul 26
Italy offers dismissed Ukraine defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov a Rome advisor post after sacking sparks protests
Guido Crosetto called Mykhailo Fedorov the day after President Zelensky dismissed him, offering an advisor position and promising new arms deliveries to Kyiv. Fedorov saw it as a gesture of friendship.
- Jul 23
Ireland pledges €125m as Zelenskiy reshuffles military command amid Kyiv protests
Taoiseach Micheál Martin met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv on Thursday, announcing a €125 million package as Ukraine grapples with a military leadership shake-up and inconclusive findings on alumina exports to Russia.
- Jul 23
Zelenski's fired defence minister rejects all alternative posts, demands reinstatement as protest deadline looms
Mykhailo Fedorov, 35, said on Thursday he would accept no government role other than defence minister, deepening a political crisis that has drawn thousands of protesters onto Kyiv's streets during wartime.
- Jul 23
Ukraine's Zelensky dismisses General Syrskyi, names Drapatyi as new army chief after street protests
President Zelensky dismissed General Oleksandr Syrskyi on Tuesday and appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, as Ukraine's new commander-in-chief, following six days of rare wartime protests triggered by the earlier removal of reformist defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
- Jul 21
Zelenskyy dismisses top general Syrskyi after week of protests over defence minister's ouster
President Zelenskyy removed Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi on 21 July, appointing Mykhailo Drapatyi, after days of demonstrations demanding the reinstatement of popular ex-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
- Jul 21
Zelensky names 43-year-old reformist Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine's new commander-in-chief after protests force out Syrskyi
President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine's new commander-in-chief on 21 July, days after mass protests erupted over the dismissal of reformist defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
- Jul 20
Over 600 attacks on Ukrainian recruiters as mobilization crisis deepens in fifth year of war
A decorated veteran was beaten with a metal bar by draft evaders, and police have recorded over 600 assaults on recruitment officers this year, as Ukraine struggles to fill its ranks in the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion.
- Jun 26
EU proposes extending protection for Ukrainians but excluding newly arrived men of military age
The European Commission proposed extending temporary protection for 4.4 million Ukrainians until 2028, but newly arriving men aged 23-60 would be excluded at Kyiv's request.
- Jun 22
Crimea bans children's camps and halts fuel sales as Ukrainian strikes escalate
Russian-appointed authorities in occupied Crimea suspended children’s recreational stays until September and halted all fuel sales to private consumers, as Ukrainian air strikes on oil infrastructure across the peninsula cut supplies and sparked long queues at petrol stations.
