Ukraine remains the most mined country in the world. Nearly one-third of Ukraine's territory, approximately 174,000 square kilometers, had been mined since Russia began its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
The phone call comes as Moscow once again rejected a 30-day ceasefire, with Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova claiming that a ceasefire would give "Kyiv a break to restore its military potential and continue its confrontation with Russia."
Flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport en-route to Kuala Lumpur International Airport on July 17, 2014. Three hours into the flight, the Boeing-777 was shot down by Russian proxy forces using a Buk surface-to-air missile above Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast.
"I am grateful for the support and the readiness at the highest level to promote diplomacy," President Volodymyr Zelensky said of the phone conservation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "We share the same view on the need for a ceasefire."
The convictions mark a significant development in Britain's efforts to counter Russian intelligence operations amid heightened tensions stemming from Moscow's war against Ukraine and repeated Kremlin threats toward Kyiv's allies.
According to the Verkhovna Rada's website, Ukraine completed the ratification of the U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement on May 12. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the deal.
"I myself have heard relatives talking: our village is being attacked, let's roll the car out of the garage, maybe they will shell it — at least we will get money. The car is old, we can't sell it," Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
The new tranche brings total recent EU defense support for Ukraine to 3.3 billion euros ($3.6 billion), marking a significant expansion of European efforts to boost Kyiv's defense industry.
A Zircon hypersonic missile launched from Russia's Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate. (Russian Defense Ministry)
Russia has launched five 3M22 Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles against Kyiv within the first three months of the year, the city's military administration reported on April 1.
The statement came a week after claims that Russian troops had used Zircon ballistic missiles in a March 25 attack on Kyiv, injuring at least two people. The researchers began to examine the debris to determine what type of missile was launched.
Ukrainian forces downed more than 180 missiles and drones targeted at Ukraine's capital in 2024, according to authorities. Apart from Zircon missiles, these include one Kalibr cruise missile, three Kh-69 cruise missiles, six Iskander-M ballistic missiles, 11 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles, 48 Shahed-type drones, and 113 Kh-101 missiles.
Russia reportedly attacked Ukraine with a 3M22 Zircon hypersonic cruise missile for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion on Feb. 7, killing at least five people and injuring over.
Illia Yevlash, an Air Force spokesperson, said that Ukraine could down Zircon missiles by using air defense systems like SAMP/T or Patriot. Kyivurged Western allies to send more such weapons to defend the entire territory of the country.
Moscow earlier said the Zircon hypersonic missile entered the arsenal of the Russian military in early 2023, claiming that it has a range of 600–1,500 kilometers, can travel at nine times the speed of sound, and has a warhead weighing about 300-400 kilograms.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Chris York
