"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.
Sudzha in Russia's Kursk Oblast after Ukrainian forces entered the town, Aug. 16, 2024. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
Russia is preparing to launch an offensive in Kursk Oblast with a force of 50,000 soldiers, including North Korean troops, the New York Times reported on Nov. 10, citing U.S. and Ukrainian officials.
The attack will begin in the near future, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine launched the surprise offensive into Russia’s Kursk Oblast in August and is holding its positions although Russian forces have managed to reclaim around half of the territory.
Russia has amassed the 50,000 troops without pulling its soldiers out of the eastern front, according to a new U.S. assessment. The east of Ukraine remains the priority for Russia and it has made notable gains in southern Donetsk Oblast, and near Toretsk, Chasiv Yar, and Kupiansk.
Although managing to retake parts of Kursk Oblast with missile strikes and artillery fire, Russia has not yet launched a major assault there, a U.S. official told the New York Times.
The new force comes as Russia saw its heaviest losses last month and the North Korean troops could be replacing injured and killed Russian soldiers, according to some experts. U.K. Defence Staff Chief Admiral Anthony Radakin claimed Russia lost an average of 1,500 troops every day in October.
North Korean troops, who arrived in Russia last month, are likely to be directly involved in the Kursk Oblast operation. The troops have been divided into an assault unit and a support unit, according to a Ukrainian official.
They will be fighting as light infantry, leaving them vulnerable to Ukrainian artillery and drone attacks without the assistance of armored vehicles, the New York Times wrote.
Russian and North Korean soldiers are expected to take heavy losses as they battle Ukrainians in Kursk Oblast, U.S. officials believe.
North Korea has already deployed some 11,000 troops to Kursk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 4.
Clashes between the Ukrainian and North Korean soldiers are currently underway, Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Nov. 5.
North Korean troops have already suffered casualties, Zelensky confirmed on Nov. 7, without specifying the number.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Kateryna Denisova
