Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in recent months, leading to lengthy and almost daily interruptions in electricity supply all over Ukraine. In this video, the Kyiv Independent shows how Kyiv lives amid blackouts in the summertime.
Daria Shulzhenko is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She has been a lifestyle reporter at the Kyiv Post until November 2021. She graduated from Kyiv International University with a bachelor’s in linguistics, specializing in translation from English and German languages. She has previously worked as a freelance writer and researcher.Read more
Ukraine and Russia may see a greater incentive to prolong war instead of settling for an unfavourable peace deal, an unclassified U.S. intelligence assessment published March 25 found.
"We see how the Russians have already started to manipulate. They are already trying to distort the agreements and actually deceive our mediators and the whole world," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 25.
The United States is "looking at" lifting additional sanctions on Russia in order to secure a Black Sea ceasefire agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump said on March 25.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on March 25 that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is a Russian facility and cannot be transferred to Ukraine or any other country.
"After the framework deal, a full agreement is being developed. Now the U.S. has offered us a 'major' deal, their vision (of the deal)," Zelensky said.
"Recently, they (Russian soldiers) have become more active. We have successfully repelled the assaults, we are holding the line, but the enemy is trying to break through our defense line and reach our positions and gain a foothold in some positions daily," said Mykola Koval, the spokesperson of Ukraine's National Guard's Chervona Kalyna brigade.
"We believe that, after Washington makes two official statements... the ceasefire in the sea and the energy ceasefire must come into effect, in (the Americans') opinion," Zelensky said. "Undoubtedly this depends on orders given by the presidents to their military forces."
The Kremlin said that the Black Sea ceasefire would come into effect after the West lifts the sanctions against Russia's Rosselkhozbank and other financial organizations involved in supporting international food trade operations and restores their connection to the SWIFT messaging system.
"All parties agreed to implement the presidential agreement on a complete ban on strikes on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine and Russia," Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.
Washington vowed to help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions.
Russia launched a devastating missile attack against the northeastern city of Sumy on March 24, just as the U.S. and Russia were leading ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia.
"They sat for 12 hours and seemed to agree on a joint statement, which, however, was not adopted because of Ukraine's position. This is also very typical and symptomatic," Vladimir Chizhov, deputy chairman of the Federation Council Security Committee claimed.
U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz is scheduled discuss a possible ceasefire deal in the Black Sea with his Russian counterpart later on March 25, Fox News reported.