Alex Stezhensky

Editor and Writer | NV English

A Kyiv native, Alex originally envisioned a career in visual media and sound production before his path shifted in 2006 when he moved to New York. After returning to Ukraine in 2020, he launched his journalism career as a translator at the New Voice of Ukraine. He quickly advanced to editorial and authorship roles, producing original reporting and analysis. Alex specializes in investigative journalism, focusing on international affairs and domestic politics. Outside of the newsroom, he remains passionate about photography and music composition.


War aims shrink /
Budanov sees Moscow lowering victory bar

The Kremlin is being forced to scale back its stated goals in the war against Ukraine after failing to achieve its original objectives, Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov said on May 21, Ukrinform reported.
21 May, 05:57 PM 244
Nation

Nuclear theater /
Moscow turns Belarus drills into NATO warning

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, called joint Russian-Belarusian nuclear drills a “signal to Europe and NATO,” Russian Telegram channels and the Russian state propaganda agency TASS reported on May 21.
21 May, 05:29 PM 96
Nation

Sanctions fight /
Mindich takes Zelenskyy to court over NSDC move

NV examined whether a court could overturn sanctions President Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed on businessman Tymur Mindich and how the lawsuit may be connected to the case against former presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak.
21 May, 04:21 PM 107
Nation

War math /
Fedorov details Russia’s rising battlefield toll

Ukraine’s Defense Forces have sharply increased the monthly number of Russian troops killed or seriously wounded, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov told journalists at a briefing.
21 May, 04:05 PM 241
Russian war

Air defense goes local /
Companies join fight against Shahed attacks

Private air defense teams in Kharkiv and Odesa oblasts have already destroyed about 20 Russian Shahed drones and reconnaissance drones, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said at a meeting with journalists.
21 May, 03:12 PM 121
Russian war

Putin’s pressure play /
Kremlin trolls target Merz before German votes

The Kremlin has intensified efforts to undermine German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters, as it seeks to boost pro-Russian forces ahead of key regional elections in Germany, Politico reported.
21 May, 02:49 PM 141
Nation

Russia’s gas giant /
Gazprom skips dividends despite trillion-ruble profit

Gazprom’s board of directors has recommended that shareholders approve no dividend payments for 2025, meaning Russia’s state-controlled gas monopoly is unlikely to send dividend revenue to state coffers, Interfax reported.
21 May, 01:45 PM 95
Business

A rare direct appeal /
Rubio urges Cubans to side with Trump pressure

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Cubans in a video address to align with President Donald Trump’s administration and blamed Cuba’s government for the country’s energy, food and economic crises, NYT reported on May 20.
21 May, 12:51 PM 46
Nation

Ballistic shield race /
Zelenskyy touts early gains for missile defenses

Ukraine does not yet have its own air-defense systems capable of shooting down ballistic missiles, but it has taken “strong first steps” in that direction, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a meeting with Ukrainian scientists on May 21, Novyny.LIVE reported.
21 May, 12:29 PM 126
Nation

A faster EU track /
Merz backs special status to bring Kyiv closer

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed granting Ukraine special “associate member” status in the EU, with expanded rights and security guarantees before full accession to the European Union, Spiegel reported on May 21.
21 May, 11:25 AM 101
Nation

Moscow’s warning shot /
Russia pressures Yerevan over its European path

Russia called Armenia’s intention to remain in the Eurasian Economic Union while seeking to join the European Union “unacceptable,” Russian outlet Interfax reported.
21 May, 10:45 AM 107
Nation

Putin’s capital problem /
Homegrown arms free Kyiv to hit deeper inside Russia

Ukraine no longer needs U.S. permission to carry out long-range strikes inside Russia, creating political problems for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Newsweek reported on May 19.
21 May, 10:32 AM 708
Nation

Moscow’s drone fiction /
Rutte ridicules Kremlin claims aimed at Latvia again

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte dismissed Russia’s claims that Ukraine was launching drones from Latvia as “ridiculous,” European Pravda reported, citing his news conference in Brussels.
20 May, 05:22 PM 242
Nation

After Orbán’s blockade /
Hungary may back EU penalties on Patriarch Kirill

EU ambassadors are discussing a “mini-package” of sanctions against about 10 people, including Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, whose inclusion Hungary had previously blocked under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Euronews reported.
20 May, 04:20 PM 115
Nation

A deadly night in Konotop /
Russian drone kills 94-year-old resident

A 94-year-old Konotop resident was killed in a Russian strike on May 20, two days after she marked her birthday, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported.
20 May, 02:23 PM 32
Nation

Europe’s Russia dilemma /
EU weighs Draghi, Merkel as envoys for Putin talks

EU foreign ministers will discuss possible candidates to represent Europe in talks with Russia on a peace settlement for the war in Ukraine during a meeting in Cyprus next week, the Financial Times reported.
20 May, 02:19 PM 154
Nation

Civil service reset /
Female public workers regain border access

Ukraine lifted foreign travel restrictions for female civil servants on May 20, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service said.
20 May, 12:23 PM 44
Nation

Four years under Moscow /
Mariupol becomes hub for theft and forced resettlement

NV examined Mariupol’s recent history, a city Putin planned to remake as a new postwar Grozny but got no further than devastating destruction and showpiece “reconstruction.”
20 May, 12:14 PM 426
Nation

A giant marked down /
Ukraine seeks buyer for Deripaska-linked plant again

Ukraine’s State Property Fund has announced another online auction on May 28 through the Prozorro.Sale system to sell a 97.5458% state-owned stake in Zaporizhzhya Aluminum Production Plant JSC, or ZAlK, according to the Prozorro.Sale website.
20 May, 11:02 AM 69
Business

After Washington falters /
Kyiv turns to UK, France and Germany

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked the United Kingdom, France and Germany to revive the E3 format and use it to advance peace talks, The Telegraph reported on May 19.
20 May, 10:19 AM 194
Nation