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.
"I invited His Holiness to make an apostolic visit to Ukraine. Such a visit would bring real hope to all believers and to all our people," Zelensky said.
MIM-104 Patriot short-range anti-aircraft missile systems for defense against aircraft, cruise missiles, and medium-range tactical ballistic missiles at Rzeszow Airport, Poland. July 24, 2022. (Christophe Gateau/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Polish Armed Forces did not shoot down the Russian missile that flew into Poland’s airspace as it could have posed a risk to local civilians, Polish media RMF 24 reported on March 24.
The missile entered Polish airspace above the Lublin region for 39 seconds before flying back into Western Ukraine during Russia’s latest mass aerial attack. The Polish Operational Command of the Armed Forces knew that the missile would circle back to Ukraine and decided not to down it, the command said.
"The decision resulted from information from our radar systems. The assessment of the missile's trajectory, speed and altitude indicated that it would leave our airspace," the Operational Command spokesperson Lt. Col. Jacek Goryszewski said.
According to him, Russia deliberately maneuvered the missile in a way that would unexpectedly target Ukraine from the west. Ukrainian air defense is typically prepared for missiles coming from the north or east.
Goryszewski noted that if Poland had downed the missile the falling debris would have posed a threat to local citizens.
However, if it had flown deeper into Polish territory then a decision could have been made to down the missile by pairs of F-16 aircraft. The pilots would have to take into consideration the location of falling debris to avoid hitting civilian areas such as schools or hospitals, Goryszewski stressed.
The Polish Foreign Ministry said it would demand explanations from Moscow after the incident.
Polish Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Pawel Wronski called on Russia to stop its “terrorist air attacks on the people and territory of Ukraine, to end the war and address the country's internal problems.”
Russia launched another mass missile attack on March 24, targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Russian forces fired 29 cruise missiles and 28 Shahed drones targeting eight regions in the west, center, north, and south of Ukraine, the Air Force said.
This is not the first time Russian missiles have entered Poland, a NATO member. On Dec. 29, a missile entered the country's airspace, putting Polish defenses on high alert.
In another incident on Nov. 15, 2022, a missile flew onto Polish territory during a Russian mass strike, killing two civilians. Polish investigators later concluded that it was a stray Ukrainian surface-to-air missile launched to intercept a Russian attack.
Dominic Culverwell
