Washington and its partners are considering additional sanctions if the parties do not observe a ceasefire, with political and technical negotiations between Europe and the U.S. intensifying since last week, Reuters' source said.
The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
Peter Szijjarto's announcement came after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) allegedly dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast.
Moscow and Washington discuss the potential resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe, among other issues related to the peaceful settlement of Russia's war in Ukraine, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed to the Russian state-run Interfax news agency.
"This is a historic decision, as weapons for Ukraine will be purchased at the expense of the proceeds from frozen Russian assets through the European Peace Fund," Denys Shmyhal said.
The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
Illustrative purposes only: Police officer Oleksii Kharkivskyi looks at smoke rising from a Russian glide bomb impact site in Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast, on May 11, 2024. (Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent)
Ukrainian troops are fighting off a Russian attack near the village of Starytsia in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine's General Staff said in its morning report on May 20.
Russia launched a new offensive on May 10 in northern Kharkiv Oblast. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Moscow's forces had managed to advance as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) in the region but had been halted by the first line of defense.
Russian troops have focused their efforts in the directions of Lyptsi and Vovchansk, two settlements a few kilometers south of the border. The village of Starytsia lies about 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Vovchansk.
"The situation is under control. In addition, our units have taken measures to reinforce defensive lines and positions in designated areas," the General Staff said.
Ukrainian soldiers also reportedly repelled a Russian attack in the direction of the village of Synkivka in the Kupiansk district and are conducting assaults in some areas.
The General Staff reported a decrease in Russian attacks in the Siversk sector in northeastern Donetsk Oblast but said the fighting is ongoing. Russian troops are trying to push out Ukrainian units near the village of Rozdolivka in Donetsk Oblast, according to the report.
Russia's offensive in Kharkiv Oblast in mid-May could be the first of several waves, and Russian forces may target the regional capital, Kharkiv, Zelensky said in an interview with AFP on May 17.
Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, suggested on May 14 that Russian forces may launch a similar offensive in Sumy Oblast when the conditions are more favorable.
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.
Dinara Khalilova
