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.
People gathered in downtown Toronto to protest ‘Russians at War’ documentary at Toronto International Film Festival. (Dmytro Basmat / Kyiv Independent)
Canada's publicly-funded broadcaster TVO (formerly TVOntario) announced on Sept. 10 that it will not be airing a controversial documentary about Russian soldiers, following protests from the Ukrainian-Canadian community against the film's inclusion in the Toronto International Film Festival.
The film, "Russians at War," directed by a Russian-Canadian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova, had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept. 10.
Hundreds took to streets in Toronto outside the Scotiabank Theatre, where the film was shown, according to the Kyiv Independent reporter on the ground. The demonstration featured vocal chants such as "Russia is a terrorist state" and "Shame on TIFF."
TVO's board of directors said in a statement that they have chosen to "respect the feedback" from the community regarding "Russians at War," a film portraying Russian soldiers' disillusionment with the invasion of Ukraine.
The production of Trofimova’s film was supported by several Canadian entities. It received $250,000 (340,000 Canadian dollars) in funding from the Canada Media Fund—a public-private partnership backed by the Department of Canadian Heritage—during the 2022-2023 fiscal year. The film was produced in collaboration with TVO. Canadian officials have emphasized that the Canada Media Fund operates independently in its funding decisions, without direct government involvement.
TVO had earlier defended the documentary, describing it as an "antiwar film" created at great personal risk by the filmmaker. The broadcaster also encouraged viewers to watch the film "for themselves" before forming an opinion.
TVO had originally intended to broadcast the documentary "in the coming months." Instead, the broadcaster will no longer support or air "Russians at War."
"TVO will be reviewing the process by which this project was funded and our brand leveraged," reads the statement.
Canadian government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, have strongly criticized the use of public funds to support a controversial documentary that portrays Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.
"It’s not right for Canadian public money to be supporting the screening and production of a film like this," Freeland said during a press briefing on Sept. 10.
Kate Tsurkan
