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.
"This is a historic decision, as weapons for Ukraine will be purchased at the expense of the proceeds from frozen Russian assets through the European Peace Fund," Denys Shmyhal said.
The statue of Armand Emanuel du Plessis Richelieu, or simply Duke, one of the founders of Odesa, is one of the city's main attractions. (omr.gov.ua)
The Ukrainian government has entered the city of Odesa as a contender to host the World Expo in 2030.
Odesa will compete against four other cities for the spot: Moscow, Russia; Rome, Italy; Busan, the Republic of Korea; and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
"Holding a world exhibition can become a powerful impetus for development," said Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov. "It draws the world's attention to the capabilities of the country and its potential."
Fedorov said the Expo will allow Ukraine to present itself to the world and garner worldwide support.
Hosting the Expo puts the host country in the spotlight, giving broad exposure to its culture and economy. It also attracts tourists. Since the 2020 World Expo in Dubai began on Oct. 1, it has attracted over 8 million visitors, the organizers reported. Hosts also hope to attract foreign investment and advertising.
The first stage of the competition has already begun, in which country representatives showcase their Expo 2030 concepts to delegates from more than 170 countries. The winner will be selected and announced in 2023, giving them ample time to prepare.
The exhibition is held every five years. The contest for hosting rights starts nearly a decade in advance.
Odesa is a city of close to 1 million on the coast of the Black Sea, known for its beaches, architecture, lifestyle and mild weather. British publication The Independent has recently included Odesa in its list of the top cities to visit in 2022, calling it "arguably the most beautiful city in the entire former Soviet Union."
Sergiy Slipchenko is a staff writer at the Kyiv Independent. He studied at York University in Toronto, Canada and worked as a reporter at the Kyiv Post.
