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.
"I invited His Holiness to make an apostolic visit to Ukraine. Such a visit would bring real hope to all believers and to all our people," Zelensky said.
Fire extinguishing efforts continue as fire breaks out after a Russian shelling on an industrial building in Kharkiv, Ukraine on March 20, 2024. (Yevhen Titov/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Five people are still missing after the afternoon attack on Kharkiv, the city's mayor Ihor Terekhov reported at 10:15 p.m. local time on March 20.
Russia used a Kh-35 anti-ship missile in its attack against Kharkiv around 1 p.m., damaging an 8-story building and setting fire to a factory. The strike killed five people and injured eight others.
The identities of five other people have been established, but they "are neither among the wounded nor among the dead," Terekhov said.
The fire in the factory is "almost extinguished," and the search and rescue operation is ongoing, Terekhov said.
Kharkiv has been at the forefront of Russian strikes since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion. It came under several deadly attacks over the winter as Russia launched mass missile strikes against Ukraine.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
