If Someone Threatens to Kill You, It’s Safer to Believe Him
“Destroying evil, destroying an enemy before it returns to kill you, your family, your children is universally tolerated and acceptable.”
That was the conclusion of my blog of May 24, 2026. Russia ultimately launched what was considered one of its largest drone and IRBM attacks against Ukraine, striking mostly civilian targets in Kyiv and other cities.
Today, Russia, which apparently is still alive and well, repeated the true nature of its heinous intentions and again warned Kyiv and the international community that it would unleash another massive air assault against Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov revealed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Moscow’s plans. A message from Russian führer Putin to President Donald J. Trump said that Ukraine should expect another massive airborne assault within a short period of time, according to a host of news media.
Lavrov told the US  diplomat to evacuate its diplomats from its embassy in Kyiv during a phone call with the American diplomat on Monday, May 25.
The statement came after Russia warned of “systematic strikes” against Kyiv in the coming days following the latest major barrage over the weekend.
“On May 25, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement, according to the French AFP.
“Sergei Lavrov drew attention to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement from May 25, which recommended that the United States, along with other states with missions in Kyiv, ensure the evacuation of their diplomatic personnel and other citizens from the Ukrainian capital,” it added.
Moscow said Russian forces would target Ukrainian defense industry sites involved in the design, production, programming, and deployment of drones, however, oftentimes those targets are non-military civilian sites.
The so-called official communique stated: “On the instructions of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, Sergei Lavrov officially conveyed to the American side information that, in response to the ongoing terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime against civilians and civilian facilities on Russian territory, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are beginning systematic and consistent strikes on facilities in Kyiv used for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as on the centers where the relevant decisions are made.”
Following the call, Rubio said he relayed Lavrov’s message to Trump.
“I spoke to him yesterday about that and a couple of other topics, and obviously, Putin had asked him to call me to relay the message directly to the President, which I did,” Rubio told reporters.
“Kyiv has been a dangerous place for a number of years. The danger in all these wars, as they continue and go on, is that they always carry the threat of escalation... of spreading into something new.”
However, European leaders and diplomats signaled they would remain in Kyiv despite Moscow's warnings, rejecting what they described as an attempt to intimidate and isolate Ukraine.
Katarina Mathernova, the European Union's ambassador to Ukraine, said the bloc “is not going anywhere.”
“We stay in Kyiv,” Mathernova stated on X. “We stay with Ukraine.”
After the Memorial Day hiatus, US Ambassador to Ukraine Julie Davis condemned Russia’s latest large-scale attack on Kyiv after visiting damaged sites in the Ukrainian capital on Monday, May 25.
In a statement published by the Embassy in Ukraine on X, Davis said Russia’s overnight attack on May 24 targeted museums, metro infrastructure, residential buildings and other civilian sites across the Kyiv region.
“Today I saw some of the consequences of this attack with my own eyes,” Davis said.
“Deliberate strikes against civilians and civilian infrastructure are unacceptable.”
The ambassador added that the United States extends its condolences to everyone affected by the attack.
“We express our deepest sympathies to all those affected by this terrible tragedy,” Davis said.
Meanwhile, Russia continues with smaller attacks against Ukrainian civilians. “At around 23:50, Russian forces attacked the settlement of Andriivka in the Izium district with drones, injuring three people and damaging residential buildings and other buildings,” local officials said.
“A 77-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman sustained injuries, while a 48-year-old woman was suffering from shock.
“At around midnight, a Russian drone struck the canopy of a petrol station in Chuhuiv, injuring a 54-year-old employee. A fire also broke out at the site, damaging the building, equipment, and vehicles.”
Russia also carried out an airstrike on the center of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast on May 25, injuring at least 12 civilians, regional authorities reported.
The strike hit areas near apartment buildings in the city center, causing damage to residential infrastructure. The full extent of the destruction is still being assessed.
Russian forces dropped two FAB-250 aerial bombs on the city at around 5:52 pm local time, according to Mayor Oleksandr Honcharenko.
"This was the third large-scale attack on Kramatorsk within a single day," Honcharenko said, adding that emergency services, rescue teams, and medics were working at the scene.
A combined Russian missile-and-drone attack hit Odesa region today, killing one person and injuring four others. Officials said the strike damaged an infrastructure facility, a school, and nearby residential buildings.
In the past, President Trump has blamed Ukraine for the intensification of Russian attacks against its cities and infrastructures, which is tantamount to blaming the rape victim for being raped. Today, Trump, who has been informed of Putin’s plans, is faced with an identical situation: Will he make flippant and insulting comments about Ukraine, or will he stand strong in supporting Ukraine by following in the footsteps of Gen. Curtis LeMay and “bomb them (Russia) back to the Stone Age.” 

Russia Uses 695 Forms of Torture against Ukrainian POWs; 406 Killed

It is understood that the United Nations Convention against Torture would and does prohibit all acts that intentionally inflict severe physical or mental suffering on detainees.

The international body, based on medical and human rights research, categorizes torture into two primary methods encompassing dozens of specific techniques: Physical Torture: Includes beatings and blunt-force trauma (the most frequently reported method globally), electrical torture, starvation, prolonged stress positions, suffocation (e.g., “waterboarding”), and sexual violence.

Psychological Torture: Includes sensory deprivation or overload, prolonged sleep deprivation, mock executions, solitary confinement, and intense threats of violence or death.

Tomás de Torquemada, the legendary Spanish grand inquisitor, would have been proud of his Russian descendants, who developed 695 forms of torture that they use against Ukrainian POWs.

Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, has reported that Russia is using 695 different forms of torture against Ukrainian prisoners of war. Depraved Russians have already tortured 406 Ukrainian captives to death. The figures testify to the fact that the free world’s response has been lackadaisical.

Speaking at a presentation of the “Made in Russia. Delivered into Captivity” project, as cited by Ukrinform, Lubinets described the blood-curdling methods used by Russians to coerce Ukrainian POWs to reveal information or just to be frivolous targets of inhuman, brutal abuse.

“Today, within this project, we officially record that, according to our data, the Russian Federation uses 695 various forms of torture, including physical and psychological abuse, as well as sexual violence. Prisoners of war are strangled, beaten, subjected to electric shocks, set upon by dogs and sometimes forced to stand in one place for up to 18 hours; as soon as you start to squat, you are immediately physically beaten,” he said.

“One of the types of torture is the so-called ‘hairdresser,’ when during shaving they deliberately cut off not only hair but also pieces of skin from the scalp. If a person starts screaming, they are immediately beaten again and subjected to electric shocks."

United Nations bodies, Ukrainian human rights organizations, and Human Rights Watch have interviewed hundreds of former POWs, and the evidence indicates that their physical and psychological torture is a widespread pattern intended to break prisoners’ sense of self and human dignity. Russia is holding thousands of Ukrainian POWs in atrocious conditions, deprived of adequate food, medical care, and basic hygiene. 

“Russian authorities’ abhorrent systematic torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war is a serious violation of core protections under international humanitarian law,” said Holly Carter, deputy program director at Human Rights Watch. “POWs face daily life-threatening ordeals in Russian custody, and all those responsible for these atrocities should be held to account.”

Lubinets noted that poor detention conditions and torture are systematic with regard to Ukrainian prisoners of war. This includes unsanitary conditions and starvation used as a method of coercion. In total, 860 cases of improper detention conditions have been recorded.

Lubinets also noted that international partners have identified 29 detention sites, 18 on the territory of Russia and 11 in temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine. Meanwhile, he said, Ukrainian intelligence agencies have verified 186 locations where Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian hostages are held, covering the entire territory of Russia and the temporarily occupied territories. In addition, detention facilities are located in Siberia. According to Lubinets, conditions in these places are almost identical and unsuitable for the civilized detention of prisoners.

The Ukrainian official also stated that Russian prison guards tortured to death 406 Ukrainian citizens who had confirmed prisoner-of-war status.

He stressed that the weak international response to the documented systematic torture signals to Russia that it can continue such actions with impunity. In particular, Lubinets criticized the position of the International Committee of the Red Cross: their representatives were invited to the event, but none attended.

“We sent them separate invitations. They are not in the hall. They do not want to once again hear that there is a problem with the fulfillment of their mandate. There is. We understand that first and foremost this is the position of the Russian Federation. But what additional steps are you taking to change this position? What? Just negotiations? They may yield results, but certainly not the ones we expect. As for the prisoners of war among the defenders of Mariupol: Olenivka – everyone knows that the Russians did it. Fifty-three men, verified by the ICRC as prisoners of war, were killed, more than 130 were injured. Where is the response? There is none. And there will be none unless we all understand that we must apply pressure now, demand accountability, and do everything to ensure that every representative of the Russian Federation is brought to justice,” Lubinets said.

Russian authorities allow only arbitrary and infrequent communication between POWs and their families, in some instances restricting it entirely. Families of POWs often did not know their whereabouts, or only found out by accident, often through Russian propaganda videos. 

Russia has systematically refused to grant international monitors access to Ukrainian POWs, preventing independent scrutiny of their conditions and treatment.

Torture of any kind against detainees—POW, civilian or otherwise—is strictly prohibited under international law and may constitute a crime against humanity. In October 2024, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine (COI) concluded that the Russian authorities in their actions against Ukrainian civilians in custody and POWs, “have acted pursuant to a coordinated state policy and have therefore committed crimes against humanity of torture.”

The Russian government should immediately end the use of torture and the ill-treatment of all Ukrainian detainees, release all unlawfully held Ukrainian civilians; and grant the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and independent human rights monitors immediate, unrestricted access to all detention sites holding Ukrainian POWs and civilians. Russian forces and authorities responsible for ordering, committing, or failing to prevent torture and ill-treatment should be investigated and prosecuted, the COI stated.

Next time you are about to shake hands with a Russian official or business partner, check for blood stains on their hands.

Russia’s Bombing of Kyiv Defies Morality and Its Desire for Peace

Russia’s ravenous desire to destroy Ukraine and annihilate all Ukrainians continues unabated. In the early morning hours of May 24 (local time), Russian cutthroat invaders launched nearly 90 Oreshnik-type IRBMs and upwards of 600 drones, according to Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian news media.

The missiles were air, sea, and ground-launched rockets, Ukraine’s Air Force clarified. Ukrainian air defenses destroyed and jammed 549 drones and 55 missiles. Some 19 missiles failed to reach targets, the Air Force said.

Oreshnik missiles are equipped with six conventional or nuclear-capable warheads, each capable of deploying multiple submunitions.

Local residents, including our contacts, described the latest wave of Russian bombings as a hellish night of terror with unceasing explosions heard throughout the Kyiv oblast. It was one of the most massive attacks against civilian targets such as residential buildings and civil infrastructures, perpetrated by a deranged enemy.

“They are genuinely deranged,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on Telegram.

Adding further details on Sunday, Zelenskyy wrote on X that at least 83 people had been confirmed injured since midnight, with some fatalities as a result of the Russian attack, which he said had hit Kyiv the hardest.

Zelenskyy described the “heavy attack” targeting Kyiv that involved 600 drones and 90 missiles of various kinds, 36 of which were ballistic ones. “Unfortunately, not all of the ballistic missiles were intercepted – the largest number of hits was in Kyiv. Kyiv was the primary target of this Russian attack,” he wrote on X.

Zelenskyy said the Russians have used Oreshniks against Ukraine three times in the four-year war.

“It is important that this does not pass without consequences for Russia,” said Vitali Klitschko, Kyiv’s mayor, adding that two people had been killed in the capital and 56 wounded, while the head of the surrounding Kyiv region said two people had also been killed there, and nine wounded, based on preliminary estimates.

Klitschko said damage had been recorded in every district of Kyiv, adding that an attack on a school had started a fire and another on a business center had led to people being trapped in a shelter.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry was damaged for the first time since the Second World War, Andrii Sybiha, the Foreign Minister, said. The historic building with “unique architectural heritage” had been lightly damaged as a result of nearby explosions, he said.
Russian strikes had “targeted a historic area,” Sybiha added. “Yet another proof we are dealing with hordes of barbarians, not the heirs of civilization.”

Ukraine’s government headquarters were also damaged, with windows blown out, but no one was injured, said Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

A school building was damaged by an attack while people sheltered inside, Klitschko said. Local authorities reported supermarkets and warehouses across the city were also damaged.

While the damage and human losses are still being assessed, local authorities said two civilians were killed and 81 injured, including three children.

Explosions were also heard in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Head Oleh Syniehubov confirmed that Russian drone operators deployed tactical devices directly into a civilian residential sector during the early morning hours.

Global leaders and foreign ministers have issued a wave of condemnations following Russia’s massive, multi-vector missile and drone offensive against Kyiv on May 24. Western allies, including Canada, Finland, Moldova, and the Baltic states, explicitly categorized the targeting of residential high-rises and cultural hubs as war crimes and acts of state terrorism.

The White House has again been silent on this latest Russian crime against Ukraine.

Ferit Hoxha, Albania’s Foreign Minister, reported that the residence of the Albanian ambassador to Ukraine was hit during the attack, denouncing it as “unacceptable” and a “grave escalation.”

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas publicly rebuked Russia’s early morning deployment of an RS-26 Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile against the city of Bila Tserkva, characterizing the strike as a reckless gamble that invites the risk of nuclear war. Kallas stated that Moscow’s reliance on nuclear-capable delivery platforms to terrorize urban centers reveals a battlefield deadlock, framing the operation as a deliberate tactic of political intimidation aimed at causing maximum civilian casualties.

“Russia does not attack cities like this because it wants peace.” Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs Maxime Prévot condemned the latest heavy attack by Russia on Kyiv and other places in Ukraine.

“Last night, Kyiv was the main target of a massive Russian strike. Missiles and drones hit homes, schools, a market, and essential infrastructure... Whatever narrative Russia may put forward, the facts remain clear: civilians were struck, residential areas were hit, and there is no justification for attacks that terrorize an entire population. The reported use of an Oreshnik missile is another chilling signal. These weapons are designed not only to destroy, but to intimidate, exhaust, and break the spirit of a nation,” observed Prévot.

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, condemned the attacks, including the use of the Oreshnik missile, which he said signaled “the dead end of Russia’s war of aggression.”

Responding to the latest strikes on Ukraine, Kallas added: “Russia hit a dead end on the battlefield, so it terrorizes Ukraine with deliberate strikes on city centers. These are abhorrent acts of terror meant to kill as many civilians as possible.”

The latest Russian bombardment also destroyed or damaged Ukrainian cultural artifacts. Buildings housing a theatre, a philharmonic hall, two museums, a library, universities, a church, a monastery, and architectural landmarks were damaged in Kyiv.

"Experts and relevant services are currently documenting all the consequences of the attack and assessing the scale of the destruction. Russia systematically targets culture and spaces that shape Ukrainian identity. They are trying to destroy our memory. But Ukrainian culture has endured before and will endure now,” said Culture Minister Tetiana Berezhna. Aquinas Institute of Religious Studies in Kyiv was also struck, the Rev. Jaroslaw Krawiec reported.

Russian forces also almost destroyed the National Chornobyl Museum, on the 40th anniversary of the Russian-instigated nuclear catastrophe north of Kyiv.

Ukraine’s National Art Museum, housing one of the country’s largest and most important collections, was also damaged in the blast, the culture ministry said, posting images of damaged ceilings, broken windows, shattered glass, and debris scattered across floors and staircases.

International expressions of shock and condemnation, as welcome as they are, merely testify to the humanity of the global community of supporters of Ukraine. It doesn’t secure Ukraine from additional bloody waves of Russian bombardments.

Indeed, Ukraine, the nation and its President Zelenskyy shouldn’t descend to Moscow’s level or depravity, callousness, and inhumanity in dealing with enemies and adversaries. However, how much can or should Ukrainians tolerate? How many tears should mothers shed over the bodies of their dead children? I daresay that they have suffered more than a few lifetimes due to Russia’s uncontrolled terrorism and atrocities committed in the course of a war that Russia launched, but now it can’t win.

Destroying evil, destroying an enemy before it returns to kill you, your family, your children is universally tolerated and acceptable. 

Zelenskyy, New Global Leader, Fortunately Takes the Relay Baton from Trump

“Leaders aren't born, they are made. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal which is worthwhile:” Vince Lombardi.

It took Russia’s latest war against Ukraine to transform the vast majority of Ukrainians into patriots, the ambush in the Oval Office, and this year’s conference in Davos to propel President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine to their rightful pinnacles among the free nations and leaders of the world.

That belief is circulating today among opinion makers, thought leaders, and influencers.

Over the years, I have enunciated that the free world is in dire need of a new leader, one who knows his or her place in the political and ideological timeline of mankind and isn’t afraid to defend kindred nations against the single evil enemy – Russia. In an earlier blog in the wake of the 2026 Davos conference, I wrote: “There’s a New Global Leader in the Room: Zelenskyy.”

Since the war began in February 2022, Ukraine, then a definite underdog that didn’t have the numbers or cards as President Donald Trump insisted derisively to defend itself against mightier Russia, today has the skills, personnel, equipment, and track record to convince the international community that it can at least force Moscow into its defensive stalemate.

This historical achievement, by the latest second mightiest army in the world, was the hard effort and price that Zelenskyy paid to reach this goal.

Columnist David French, in his column on May 2, 2026, appropriately called “Meet the New Leader of the Free World,” wrote: “A remark­able thing has happened on the world’s bat­tle­fields. Ukraine – a nation that was sup­posed to dis­solve within days of a Rus­sian inva­sion – has fought Rus­sia to a stale­mate, revo­lu­tion­iz­ing land war­fare in the pro­cess. It has become an indis­pens­able secur­ity part­ner in the west­ern alli­ance, includ­ing in the war against Iran.

Now, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s Pres­id­ent, is tak­ing the next step, one that would have been unthink­able even as recently as 2024. By word and deed, he is show­ing Europe and the world how the post-Amer­ican free world can pre­serve its liberty and inde­pend­ence. This is what hap­pens when, as Phil­lips Payson O’Brien wrote in a piece for The Atlantic, ‘Kyiv appears to have given up on the United States.’”

French ominously summed this up by writing: “If that is true, it may be worse news for the United States than it is for Ukraine.”

Gone are the derogatory quips about the lack of Ukraine’s battlefield prowess and antiquated weapons. French noted: “It is no longer accur­ate to think of Ukraine as a des­per­ate under­dog; it is becom­ing an inde­pend­ent power. Even as it fights for its life against Rus­sia, it is reportedly reach­ing defense deals with the Gulf states and with the United States – and this time it’s Ukraine that’s provid­ing mil­it­ary assist­ance.”

Ukrainian drones have undeniably signaled to all observers that its military-industrial expertise, developed an accurate, deadly aerial device that can travel some 1,000 kilometers and destroy its target deep in Russia that is better than world class. News reports indicated that Ukraine’s drones have shaken Russia to the core. A Russian-language notice on the web urged local residents to pack up and leave for their own safety.

I have previously argued that Ukraine is the most fitting country to join the ranks of NATO because the anti-Russian alliance can certainly benefit from its skills. French also drew attention to this: “The largest and most battle-hardened land force in the west­ern world may be the Ukrain­ian Army. The Atlantic Coun­cil estim­ated in 2025 that Ukraine had roughly a mil­lion men and women under arms, the vast major­ity of whom serve in the ground forces.”

As President Donald Trump is cutting off his nose to spite his face on the global stage, President Zelenskyy is building allies and alliances that can be used as a legitimate and practical bulwark against Russian aggression.

At a time when America’s traditional European allies publicly doubt Washington's commitment to their safety and security, President Zelenskyy has composed a significant defensive and battle plan not only to protect Europe but also to defend specifically against Russia’s aggression.

Alluding to his recent calls for the establishment of a European army, Zelenskyy said at the Davos conference: “Europe needs to know how to defend itself.” He continued: “Next point. I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it again: Europe needs united armed forces – forces that can truly defend Europe. Today, Europe relies only on the belief that if danger comes, NATO will act. But no one has really seen the Alliance in action. If Putin decides to take Lithuania or strike Poland, who will respond? Who will respond?”

Furthermore, the danger posed by imperial Russia is enhanced by a clear boundary like the one enjoyed by the United States. “Let’s not forget – there’s no ocean separating European countries from Russia. And European leaders should remember this – battles involving North Korean soldiers are now happening in places geographically closer to Davos than to Pyongyang,” he said.

French showed how European nations are preparing to defend themselves against Russian aggression in case Washington backs down. He pointed out that Zelenskyy has pro­posed a new defense arrange­ment for Europe — an alli­ance between E.U. nations, plus non-E.U. powers like the United King­dom, Nor­way, Tur­key and Ukraine. That scenario resembles my suggestion that the former captive nations should form their own alliance based on the wartime Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations. After all, Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine have already formed their own military and political alliance.

According to French, Zelenskyy is indeed his own protagonist, garnering the support not only of European nations and their leaders but, more importantly, his own nation. It has been said that when Russian soldiers crossed the border into Ukraine, Putin immediately united the nation. Men, women and children, professionals and craftsmen, youth and adults, Catholics, Orthodox, Jews, Protestants, Muslims, city dwellers and farmers – all became Ukrainians united in a singular mission – defeat and expel the aggressor.

French also recognized this: “His­tory has its hinge points, and here is one: On Feb­ru­ary 25, 2022, Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a video from Kyiv. He told the people of Ukraine that the gov­ern­ment has not fled to safety in the west and that it inten­ded to stand and fight.

“‘We are here,’ Zelenskyy said. ‘We are in Kyiv. We are pro­tect­ing Ukraine.’

“When I vis­ited Ukraine in 2023, I spoke to Ukrain­ian sol­diers who told me that state­ment sent a jolt of elec­tri­city through Ukrain­ian lines. From that moment, they knew they would not sur­render.

“In hind­sight, that decision hasn’t just changed the course of Ukrain­ian his­tory. Its effects are extend­ing across the globe.”

As America’s sun is setting thanks to the misguided, jingoistic policies of Donald J. Trump and his team that will not benefit America, Europe, and Ukraine, it is fortunate that Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine are on the front lines.

“For the first time in my adult life, the moral and stra­tegic heart of the defense of lib­eral demo­cracy doesn’t beat in Wash­ing­ton. It doesn’t beat in Paris or Ber­lin or Ott­awa, either. It’s in Kyiv, where a cour­ageous leader and a cour­ageous people have picked up the torch Amer­ica has dropped.” Freeman concluded.

Russia Escalates Terror: Second Day of Mass Drone and Missile Strikes Targets All of Ukraine

Following a devastating wave of attacks on May 13, Russia launched an even more massive assault on May 14, firing more than 800 drones and missiles within a 24-hour period. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned the onslaught as a “deliberate terrorist tactic,” calculated to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses and strike civilian infrastructure at a scale unseen since the start of the full-scale invasion more than four years ago.

A Nation Under Fire

The statistics from the Ukrainian Air Force tell a harrowing story of asymmetrical warfare. Of the 1,567 drones and 56 missiles launched over the past 48 hours, Ukrainian defenses achieved a 94% intercept rate for drones but only 7% for ballistic missiles.

“This is a deliberate terrorist tactic,” Zelenskyy stated, noting that a Kh-101 missile which struck a residential building in Kyiv was manufactured as recently as the second quarter of 2026. This suggests that despite international sanctions, Moscow continues to import critical components for its death machine.

The Human Toll: From Kyiv to the Borders of NATO

The carnage was widespread, affecting nearly every oblast:

Kyiv: A residential building in the Darnytskyi district partially collapsed, killing at least 12 people, including two children. Rescuers continue to clear debris with more than 10 people still missing.

Western Ukraine: In a move that prompted Budapest to summon the Russian ambassador, hundreds of drones targeted regions closest to NATO borders. Hits were recorded in Zakarpattia (the first such massive attack on Uzhhorod), Lviv, Volyn, and Ivano-Frankivsk.

Ternopil & Central Ukraine: Drones entering from the Black Sea targeted Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, and Chernivtsi. In Rivne, three people were killed when a drone struck a home.

Southern Front: In Kherson, a “double-tap” strike injured emergency responders, while 27 civilians were wounded in attacks on public transport.

Dnipropetrovsk: Governor Oleksandr Hanzha reported eight fatalities, with teenagers among the wounded and critical gas infrastructure damaged.

Political Shifting Gears in Washington

While Ukraine bleeds, the political landscape in Washington, D.C., is seeing a rare moment of movement. Supporters of a new aid bill reached a critical threshold on May 13, gathering 218 signatures on a discharge petition led by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY). This move bypasses Republican leadership to force a House vote. Notably, the petition gained the final required signature from Independent Rep. Kevin Kiley (CA).

In a surprising turn, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently characterized Ukraine’s Armed Forces as the “strongest, most powerful” military in Europe, highlighting Ukraine’s development of “hybrid asymmetrical warfare.” However, the absence of an official condemnation of these latest strikes from President Donald Trump remains a point of deep concern for Ukrainian American voters and long-time supporters of Ukrainian independence.

Weakness in Moscow

The scale of the terror in Ukraine stands in stark contrast to the "subdued" atmosphere in Moscow. British Defense Intelligence observed that Russia’s 2026 Victory Day parade was significantly scaled back, lacking tanks and missile systems due to military shortages and the persistent threat of Ukrainian drones. In many towns, kindergarteners in military uniforms replaced actual soldiers—a visual testament to an aging leadership increasingly unable to counter the UAS threat.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. “Such a scale of Russian terror necessitates strong international responses,” Sybiha stated. “Russia has chosen terror over peace.”

Russia Reaches New Level of State-Sponsored Barbarism Against Ukraine

Russian state-sponsored barbarism since the start of this Russian war against Ukrainians has no bounds. As gruesome as it reads, the decapitation of prisoners of war is a bloody example of Russia’s total disregard for human lives—in this case, Ukrainian.

Since the Russian war against Ukraine resumed more than four years ago, we have provided numerous examples of its gross violations of common decency, rights of POWs, rights of humans, and notably children. We have written about their killing of unarmed civilians, rape and murder of young boys and girls, bombing of public transportation, apartment buildings and homes, supermarkets, and houses of worship. All of these heinous acts by the Russians against Ukrainians have been condemned by international organizations like the United Nations.

It seems that every dawn brings a new report of a new Russian crime against humanity.

The Kyiv Independent reported today that a Russian military commander ordered his troops to decapitate the bodies of two Ukrainian soldiers killed near Huliaipole and put them on display, according to Ukraine’s General Staff. "The enemy's cynicism and cruelty know no bounds," the General Staff wrote.

A Russian combat unit ambushed soldiers of Ukraine's 225th Separate Assault Regiment on the front lines near Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on May 12. Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed in battle. Intelligence intercepts showed that the commander of the Russian unit issued a direct order for his subordinates to cut the heads off the bodies of the fallen soldiers and place them in a "conspicuous spot" at the edge of the field. This was to be done "for confirmation," according to radio intercepts. The subordinate soldier reportedly expressed willingness to carry out this order.

The unit whose soldiers took part in the acts of desecration has been preliminarily identified. The commander who issued the order is believed to have previously ordered his troops to mock Ukrainian prisoners of war.

“By desecrating the bodies of fallen soldiers, the occupiers have once again demonstrated their sadistic nature and excessive, ostentatious cruelty,” the military said. “This is a gross, deliberate violation of the rules and customs of war — a war crime with no statute of limitations.”

A Pattern of State-Sponsored Barbarism

The recent report regarding the beheading of fallen Ukrainian soldiers is not an isolated incident of madness. It is a calculated tool of psychological warfare and a direct reflection of Moscow’s cruel military doctrine. To provide a broader context for this latest report, here is a summary of documented atrocities that demonstrate the systemic nature of these crimes:

1. Systematic Execution of Prisoners of War: The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine is currently investigating dozens of cases where Ukrainian servicemen were executed after surrendering. Notable incidents near Avdiivka and Robotyne show a recurring pattern: Russian forces filming the execution of unarmed soldiers with their hands raised, violating the most fundamental protections of the Geneva Conventions.

2. The Infrastructure of Torture: From the liberation of the Kyiv and Sumy regions to the ongoing occupation of southern Ukraine, “torture chambers” (kativni) have been discovered in nearly every liberated town. Evidence from sites in Bucha and Trostyanets reveals the use of electric shocks, mock executions, and captives being starved and denied medical care.

3. Chemical Warfare and Prohibited Weapons: Beyond physical mutilation, Moscow continues to deploy chemical agents via drones (such as K-51 grenades). This use of riot control agents as a weapon of war is a direct violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, further proving that the Kremlin views international law as non-binding.

Editorial Note: The Roots of Impunity

These acts are the inevitable result of decades of unpunished crimes in Chechnya and Syria. When the international community fails to hold the perpetrator accountable, "barbarism" becomes a standardized military tactic. For the readers of The Torn Curtain 1991, these events serve as a stark reminder that we are not just witnessing a territorial aggression, but a fundamental struggle against a regime that has abandoned the very concept of human rights.

It is inconceivable that any human being wouldn’t cringe at these reports. That’s why Ukrainian American voters can’t understand the White House’s silence. Ukrainian American voters won’t forget this come Election Day.

 US Foreign Policy Should Follow Kelly, not Trump

With the midterm and Presidential elections just around the corner, both political parties should review their foreign policy positions. As far as we’re concerned, the Democratic Party’s approach to issues about Ukraine and Russian aggression does not require adjustment. However, the Republican Party, especially its potential candidates, President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance, should compose another platform, one that is palatable to American voters, especially those who hail from the former captive nations and their descendants.

I believe that Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) is worthy of consideration.

Speaking during the Face the Nation broadcast on Sunday, May 10, Kelly was asked about his upcoming trip to Ukraine (scheduled for early June). He emphasized that the Trump Administration’s approach—specifically the weakening of sanctions and the lack of military pressure—is emboldening Moscow rather than ending the war.

Kelly also observed:

“I think one of the obstacles to peace is that Donald Trump hasn't provided the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people with the support that Ukraine needs.”

“We’ve seen this over and over again, this strange relationship he has with Putin. He refuses to press Putin... He’s backed off on sanctions.”

“This administration is not using the sanction power they have against Russia... we’re trying to get them to put more sanctions in place, and this administration is taking sanctions off of Russians.”

That, in a nutshell, is quite palatable to Ukrainian American voters and others who hail directly or indirectly from the x-captive nations.