Anti-Corruption Raids Shake Ukrainian Parliament
In a significant development on Saturday, Ukraine's leading anti-corruption bodies, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) and the State Bureau of Investigation (Sapo), conducted raids on offices within the Verkhovna Rada, the national parliament in Kyiv. The operation was part of a new investigation, with Nabu alleging that some members of parliament were implicated in a bribery scheme, accepting payments in exchange for their votes.
The bureau stated that guards from the State Security Department initially resisted its officers during the investigative actions within parliamentary committees. While specific details of the graft probe remain undisclosed, the agency confirmed suspects were involved in taking bribes for legislative votes. The State Security Department later clarified that the detectives were temporarily halted for security protocol verification before being granted access.
This raid follows a separate, high-profile corruption scandal that led to the resignation of the chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That case involved an alleged $100 million kickback scheme within Ukraine's beleaguered energy sector, reportedly orchestrated by a personal friend of the president.
Zelenskyy's Diplomatic Mission: From Canada to Florida
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy embarked on a crucial diplomatic journey, culminating in a planned meeting with former US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday. Ahead of this high-stakes discussion, Zelenskyy stopped in Canada, where Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a substantial new aid package of $2.5 billion in economic assistance for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy indicated he had coordinated priorities with a group of Ukraine's international partners. "Tomorrow, after the meeting with President Trump, we will continue the discussion," he stated, suggesting further talks with European leaders would follow. The Florida meeting occurs amidst pressure from the Trump administration for Ukraine to consider territorial concessions to achieve peace.
ISW Analysis: Russia's Strategic Weakness and Battlefield Deception
Ahead of the Trump-Zelenskyy talks, a critical assessment from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) provided context. The US-based think tank argued that Russia is pushing for Ukrainian concessions precisely because it lacks the military capacity to seize the remainder of the Donetsk region while sustaining its war effort elsewhere.
"The Kremlin is therefore making demands in negotiations that Ukraine cede the unoccupied parts of Donetsk oblast," the ISW assessed, adding this move could be designed "to put Russia in a more advantageous position to re-invade in the future." The institute believes this aligns with Vladimir Putin's long-term goal of controlling all of Ukraine.
On the ground, the ISW reported that Ukrainian forces are making tactical gains near Kupiansk. It cited complaints from Russian military bloggers that the Kremlin's commanders are filing false reports up the chain of command, which is contributing to Ukrainian successes. "The scale of Russian milblogger complaints... demonstrates the scale and egregiousness of the Russian military command’s lies," the ISW noted.
Meanwhile, Russia claimed the capture of two more eastern towns, Myrnohrad and Huliaipole, near the contested city of Pokrovsk. Ukraine's military general staff described the situation in Huliaipole as "complex" and in Myrnohrad as "dire," but maintained both areas were still being defended. They dismissed the claims as disinformation, stating enemy units "are failing to implement their plans."
Capital Under Fire: Kyiv Suffers Drone and Missile Barrage
The human cost of the war was starkly evident in Kyiv, where a massive overnight Russian drone and missile attack lasting ten hours into Saturday crippled the capital's infrastructure. The strikes cut power supplies, leaving a third of the city without heating as hundreds of thousands faced freezing temperatures.
The assault killed at least one person and wounded two dozen others. The aftermath was captured in photographs showing the stark reality of the bombardment, such as the engine from a Russian drone lying amidst the rubble in the damaged Darnytskyi district.
