Ukrainian anti-corruption investigators have conducted raids on the national parliament in Kyiv, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travels to the United States for crucial talks with former President Donald Trump. The developments come on day 1,404 of Russia's full-scale invasion, as analysts suggest Moscow lacks the strength for a decisive breakthrough in the Donetsk region.
Parliament Raids in New Graft Probe
On Saturday, officers from Ukraine's National Anti-corruption Bureau (Nabu) and the Specialised Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office (Sapo) executed searches in committees of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament. The bureau accused State Security Department guards of initially resisting its officers during the investigative actions.
While Nabu did not disclose full details of the new probe, it stated that suspects are alleged to have taken bribes in exchange for their votes. The State Security Department later confirmed that the anti-corruption detectives were eventually permitted entry after an initial delay. This investigation follows a separate, major corruption scandal involving the country's battered energy sector, which allegedly involved a $100m kickback scheme and led to the resignation of the president's chief of staff.
Zelenskyy's Diplomatic Mission to Florida
President Zelenskyy confirmed he would hold talks with European leaders following a meeting with Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday. The Ukrainian leader stated he had already coordinated priorities with a group of international partners on the diplomatic track. "Tomorrow, after the meeting with President Trump, we will continue the discussion," Zelenskyy said.
En route to the United States, Zelenskyy stopped in Canada, where Prime Minister Mark Carney announced an additional $2.5bn (£1.85bn) in economic aid for Ukraine. The Florida meeting occurs amid reported pressure from the Trump administration for Ukraine to consider territorial concessions to achieve peace.
ISW: Russia Lacks Strength for Donetsk Conquest
Ahead of the talks, a new assessment from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) argues that Russia is pushing for such concessions precisely because it "does not have sufficient manpower or materiel" to seize the remainder of the Donetsk region while sustaining its war effort elsewhere in Ukraine.
"The Kremlin is therefore making demands in negotiations that Ukraine cede the unoccupied parts of Donetsk oblast," the ISW report states, adding that this move is possibly intended to position Russia more advantageously for a future re-invasion to pursue Vladimir Putin's long-term goal of controlling all of Ukraine.
The analysis also highlights complaints from Russian military bloggers, who allege that commanders are filing false reports up the chain of command, contributing to Ukrainian tactical gains near Kupiansk. Ukrainian forces continue to make advances in the Kupiansk area, with the scale of Russian milblogger criticism pointing to significant problems within the Russian command structure.
Frontline Claims and Capital Under Attack
As the ISW published its findings, Russia claimed to have captured two more towns in eastern Ukraine: Myrnohrad and Huliaipole, both near the heavily contested city of Pokrovsk. Ukraine's military general staff described the situation in Huliaipole as "complex" and in Myrnohrad as "dire," but maintained that its forces continue to defend the positions.
The military statement accused Russian units of resorting to disinformation, asserting that "enemy units, as before, are failing to implement their plans to seize the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad agglomeration."
Meanwhile, the civilian population faced renewed hardship as a massive Russian drone and missile barrage targeted Kyiv overnight into Saturday. The ten-hour attack cut power supplies, leaving a third of the capital without heating and hundreds of thousands of people facing freezing temperatures. The strikes killed at least one person and wounded two dozen others.
