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.
"Russia is ready for negotiations without any preconditions," Putin claimed in an address marking the end of the three-day Victory Day ceasefire. He invited Ukraine to begin talks in Istanbul on May 15.
Both men face charges related to terrorism and espionage. Daniil B. was detained in Lithuania, where he is in temporary custody, while Oleksandr V. remains at large in Russia.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine and its allies discussed tougher sanctions against Russia's banking sector, central bank, and energy industry.
"We are ready for all options. But of course, we are separately waiting for a response on the ceasefire," a source close to President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Kyiv Independent.
The EU plans to unveil on May 14 its next package of sanctions imposed against Russia over its aggression against Ukraine, an EU official told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity.
Oil storage tanks sit illuminated by electric light at the "TANECO" refining and petrochemical plant, operated by Tatneft OAO, in Nizhnekamsk, Russia, on July 30, 2015. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Editor's note: The headline was changed and the article was updated when the Kyiv Independent's source in the Security Service of Ukraine confirmed reports about the attack and provided more details.
During an April 2 attack on industrial facilities in Russia's Tatarstan, a Ukrainian long-range drone targeted one of the country's largest oil refineries, located in the city of Nizhnekamsk, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent.
Fossil fuels are the primary drivers of the Russian economy and the main source of revenue for the Kremlin's war machine. Despite Western sanctions, Russia still provides oil and gas to other countries around the world, primarily India and China.
Over the last weeks, Ukraine has carried out increasingly regular attacks on Russian oil refineries and other industrial facilities with long-range drones. In total, the recent attacks have reportedly disrupted between 12-14% of Russia's refining capacity.
The attack on the Nizhnekamsk oil refinery was a joint operation carried out by the SBU and HUR, the source said.
The Ukrainian drone hit the refinery's primary oil processing facility, which has an annual production capacity of around 8 million tons, amounting to 2.6% of Russia's total annual oil-processing capacity, the source said.
"We continue to work systematically to ensure that Russia has fewer and fewer opportunities to finance the war of aggression against Ukraine. We will continue to cut off oxygen to the 'gas station country' in order to minimize the flow of petrodollars to the Russian military budget," added the source.
The Taneco oil refining complex in Nizhnekamsk came under drone attack in the morning, which led to a fire that was extinguished in 20 minutes, emergency services told Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti.
Nizhnekamsk Mayor Ramil Mullin told Russian state-run news outlet TASS that a drone had attempted to strike the facility but was neutralized by electronic warfare, adding that there were no casualties or damage.
The Kyiv Independent is unable to verify claims made by Russian authorities.
Russian Telegram channels, such as Baza, also reported on the drone attack on the oil refinery, citing local residents.
Nizhnekamsk lies in western Russia, around 1,300 kilometers from the country's border with Ukraine. Russia's Republic of Tatarstan has reportedly never been attacked by drones before.
The attacks on industrial facilities in Tatarstan came a day after Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said that Ukraine has domestically-produced attack drones capable of flying over 1,000 kilometers.
In an interview with the Washington Post on March 29, President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted that targeting Russian energy infrastructure is a legitimate military strategy.
The strikes serve as retaliation for Russian attacks on critical infrastructure and align with Ukraine's military objectives, Zelensky said.
The interview followed media reports that the U.S. had asked Ukraine to stop attacking the Russian oil industry. Advisor to Ukraine's Presidential Office head Mykhailo Podolyak denied the reports, saying Kyiv did not receive such calls from Washington.
Igor Kossov
