The United States embassy in Kyiv on May 9 issued a warning that Russia could launch "a potentially significant" attack in the coming days, despite Putin's self-declared Victory Day "truce."
The sanctioned oil tankers have transported over $24 billion in cargo since 2024, according to Downing Street. The U.K. has now sanctioned more shadow fleet vessels than any other country.
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.
In this photo illustration, the Facebook logo is displayed on a smartphone with a screen showing that web service is down in the background. (Mykola Tys/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Russia may be retooling aspects of its air defense system amid continued Ukrainian drone strikes within Russia, the Institute for the Study of War reported in its daily assessment on Jan. 29.
Russian state media Kommersant reported earlier today that the Russian Ministry of Digital Development ordered local authorities in Novgorod, Leningrad, and Pskov oblasts to block 4G LTE internet connection until June 30 so Russian officials can "fine-tune" anti-drone and air defense systems.
According to ISW, Novgorod, Pskov, and Leningrad oblasts announced disruptions to 4G LTE internet services between Jan. 25 and Jan. 30, possibly associated with technical adjustments to the "radio frequency spectrum."
Kommersant also reportedly stated that Voronezh Oblast is implementing similar changes that have been "planned at the federal level" and that many other Russian federal subjects are potentially pursuing these efforts.
Drone attacks inside Russian territory have increased in frequency over recent months.
A Dec. 30 strike on Belgorod, located about 40 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, reportedly killed 25 people and injured over 100. Officials in Belogorod claimed Ukrainian forces launched the attack, however, Ukraine did not claim responsibility.
Earlier this month, Novatek's gas-condensate plant caught fire at the port of Ust-Luga in Russia's Leningrad Oblast following a possible coordinated effort by Ukraine to strike key targets deep inside Russian territory. The Russian Defense Ministry also accused Ukraine of launching multiple drone attacks over Tula, Smolensk, and Oryol that same night.
Similarly, the Russian city of Voronezh declared a state of emergency on Jan. 16 following an overnight drone attack.
Rachel Amran is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked on the Europe and Central Asia team of Human Rights Watch investigating war crimes in Ukraine. Rachel holds a master's degree in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Regional Studies from Columbia University.
Daria Shulzhenko
