"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.
Polish truckers plan to restrict freight traffic at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint on the Ukrainian border, Ukraine's State Border Guard said on May 12.
"If the Russians are using this level of specialists in urban combat, they are probably facing some difficulties," Ivan Petrychak, spokesperson for the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade, said.
Previously, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused the Russian intelligence services of orchestrating a May 2024 arson attack on the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw.
"Perhaps in some areas, the intensity decreased slightly to create an image of compliance with their own announcement. But in reality, (Russia) continued attacks every day, using all available weapons — including aircraft to drop guided bombs on Ukraine," Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service, said.
Beijing supports all efforts toward achieving peace in Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on May 12 when asked about Kyiv and Europe's proposal for a 30-day truce.
Russian President Vladimir Putin during his speech at the meeting in Zaryadye Hall, marking the City Day in Moscow, Russia Sep. 7, 2024. (Contributor/Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin was greeted by the hail "God save the Tsar" on the occasion of his 72nd birthday by ultra-nationalist Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin on his Telegram channel just minutes after midnight on Oct. 7.
Dugin, a fervent supporter of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has long been an advocate of Russian imperialism and a leading figure of Russia's turn toward hardline nationalism and authoritarian rule.
The ideologue also wished for "angels" to "crown" Putin with a golden wreath in his message on Telegram – followed by more than 71,000 – and called Putin's age of 72 the beginning of a "second youth."
Dugin became widely known after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine was justified partly by some of his earlier works on Russia’s superiority and its mission to create a "Eurasian Union," a plan for the integration of Russia with the countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union.
In August 2022, he lost his daughter in a car explosion that was most likely intended to target him.
Dugin is also a suspect and wanted in Ukraine under the articles of genocide and encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
If he completes his term, Putin will become the longest-serving ruler of his country in more than 200 years after winning elections earlier this year with more than 85% of the votes in a vote largely seen as rigged.
His election came without serious competition as his main political opponent, Alexei Navalny, who was barred from running in the race, died in a prison colony due to possible poisoning weeks before election day.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Martin Fornusek
