More than 1,000 Russian government entities and 1,200 private companies are involved in the economy of occupied Mariupol, a major southeastern city occupied by Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, according to a research paper published on May 14.
The measures target almost 200 ships of Russia's "shadow fleet," 30 companies involved in sanctions evasion, 75 sanctions on entities and individuals linked to the Russian military-industrial complex, and more.
The government has approved "reform roadmaps in the rule of law, public administration, and democratic institutions, as well as Ukraine’s negotiation position," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
The statement did not name the ex-official by name, but details of the case indicate it relates to Oleh Hladkovsky, a former deputy secretary of Ukraine's top security body who has been wanted since mid-April.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva claimed that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had appealed to his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, to ask Putin if he was willing to conclude a peace agreement.
"Trump needs to believe that Putin actually lies," Zelensky told journalists in Kyiv. "And we should do our part. Sensibly approach this issue, to show that it’s not us that is slowing down the process."
The EU plans to significantly increase tariffs on Ukrainian goods after the current duty-free deal lapses on June 6, the Financial Times reported on May 14, citing undisclosed diplomatic sources.
The blockade ended at 10:30 p.m. local time. Truck traffic in both directions is now moving as usual, according to Ukraine's State Border Guard's statement.
Russia seems to be preparing a significant offensive in Ukraine as it is moving troops toward key positions on the front, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but said both leaders are ready to fly to Istanbul if Russian President Vladimir Putin chooses to attend the talks there.
A screenshot from a video released by the 110th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian military allegedly showing a Russian execution of its soldiers in Donetsk Oblast. (Battalion of Unmanned Systems of the 110th Mechanized Brigade/Telegram)
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reacted to a video allegedly showing Russian troops executing Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) on Dec. 22, vowing to report "another crime" to the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to seek justice.
"The video shows how Russian soldiers shot five captured Ukrainian defenders," Lubinets said in a Telegram post, referring to drone footage released by the 110th Mechanized Brigade earlier on Dec. 22 that appears to have captured Russian troops shooting surrendered Ukrainian soldiers from behind.
One of the press officers of the 110th, Ivan Sekach, told the Ukrainian media outlet NV that Russian troops had shot four encircled Ukrainian soldiers dead. Another two, he said, were already killed by shelling earlier. He said that the incident took place on the Velyka Novosilka axis in the eastern Donetsk Oblast, where Russian troops have recently intensified their push.
Throughout the full-scale war in Ukraine, the visual evidence of Russian troops executing Ukrainian soldiers mounts, showing a stark violation of the Geneva Conventions. It is however difficult to prove such apparent war crimes to the international court, as retrieving such bodies is often impossible.
The 110th brigade suffered a similar incident in February when its troops were withdrawing from the small industrial city of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast. Two soldiers who barely escaped encirclement told the Kyiv Independent how six of their comrades, who were unable to flee on foot due to their injuries, were shot dead by Russian troops, citing videos that surfaced on the internet.
The 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade confirmed in a Feb. 19 statement that five soldiers were killed, and the fate of the last one was uncertain.
Yurii Belousov, the head of the department focused on war-related crimes, said in October that Kyiv is aware of 93 POWs who were executed by Russian soldiers across the full-scale war. The number has since passed to include over 100 such cases.
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.
Kamila Hrabchuk
