"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.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky during a joint press conference in Kyiv on Feb. 2. (The Presidential Office of Ukraine)
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte warned of “serious consequences” if Moscow chooses to further invade Ukraine, during his visit to Kyiv on Feb. 2.
A renewed invasion of Ukraine will trigger a “robust” package of Western sanctions, Rutte said during a joint press conference following his talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
However, Rutte emphasized that it's crucial to continue dialogue with Russia to defuse the tensions on the Ukrainian border and make every effort to “de-escalate the dangerous situation in which we find ourselves.”
Rutte's comments come amid the ongoing Russian military build-up. According to Ukrainian officials, Russia concentrated over 120,000 troops, a wide range of military equipment and aircraft along the Ukrainian border.
The new satellite imagery by Maxar, released on Feb. 2, showed ongoing steady Russian military deployment around Ukraine.
“The only route to a solution is through de-escalation, diplomacy and dialogue,” Rutte said.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte walks together with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Feb. 2. (The Presidential Office of Ukraine)
Rutte is the latest NATO leader to visit Kyiv in a show of solidarity as Russia’s military buildup continues to stir up Western fears that Moscow could be planning an all-out invasion of Ukraine.
Nonetheless, the Dutch prime minister focused on humanitarian issues as well.
Rutte announced that the Netherlands will donate $450,000 to help combat COVID-19 in eastern Ukraine and offered Dutch assistance to fend off cyberattacks. The Netherlands has also agreed to launch a joint program to build 48 hospitals and rehabilitation centers for Ukrainian armed forces and veterans.
Rutte said the Netherlands will support Ukraine “wherever we can.”
MH17
Despite being overshadowed by the ongoing Russian escalation, the meeting was planned in advance, with the key issue being the downing of the Malaysia Airlines passenger flight by Russian-led troops over eastern Ukraine in 2014.
A missile brought down plane MH17 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur and killed all 298 people on board, most of whom were Dutch citizens.
The International Court of Justice in The Hague confirmed prior independent findings that Russia shot down the plane using the Buk ground-to-air missile transported from Russia to Russian-occupied eastern Donbas.
The court also heard witnesses who saw the missile launch from a location controlled by Russian-backed forces. The court charged four Kremlin-linked suspects with downing the plane.
Among them are three Russian citizens – Igor Girkin, a former colonel of Russia’s FSB security agency who was appointed the militants’ minister of defense in Donetsk, Sergei Dubinsky, who headed Russia’s military intelligence unit in Donetsk and Oleg Pulatov, a deputy of Dubinsky.
The fourth man charged is Leonid Kharchenko, a Ukrainian national who commanded a Russian-backed military unit in eastern Ukraine. The trial is ongoing.
Despite compelling evidence, Russia denies any involvement in the crash.
Rutte vowed to secure justice for the families of the victims. He said the Netherland’s priorities are to establish the truth of what happened and hold those responsible to account.
"It's not an easy process but giving up is not an option for both of us," Rutte said looking at Zelensky.
Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military issues, front-line developments, and politics. She is the co-author of the weekly War Notes newsletter. She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade, infrastructure, investment, and energy. Originally from Japan, Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in the U.S. She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize, awarded as part of Germany's Axel Springer Prize 2023. She was also featured in the Media Development Foundation’s “25 under 25: Young and Bold” 2023 list of emerging media makers in Ukraine.
