"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.
Polish Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski walks through the parliament corridors ahead of the vote of confidence on Donald Tusk's government cabinet during a session at the parliament on Dec. 12, 2023, in Warsaw, Poland. (Omar Marques/Getty Images)
Inspections of agricultural goods at the Ukraine-Poland border show excess imports of goods and a need to strengthen veterinary inspections, the Polish Agricultural Minister Czesław Siekierski said on Feb. 4.
The excess goods included sugar, oil, and cereal products such as flour and cornmeal, according to the ministry's statement.
“It is also worrying that the final recipients of many deliveries are the Baltic countries - Lithuania and Latvia,” the statement said, noting that the goods could return to Poland.
Earlier in the day, Poland announced it was stepping up inspections of Ukrainian food products.
Polish farmers announced a nationwide strike on Feb. 1 to block Ukrainian goods at the border, protesting what they say are an influx of cheap goods harming their domestic business.
Demonstrations by Polish farmers have taken place intermittently since spring 2023.
Siekierski has said he will try to stop further blockades by negotiation with the protesters.
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Kateryna Denisova
