Russia attacked Ukraine with drones and guided bombs during the night, targeting multiple regions after the May 12 deadline for an unconditional ceasefire had expired.
"Only member states can take out loans within the 150 billion euros instrument, but they can use these funds for joint procurement with Ukraine," EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said.
"We agreed to pursue ambitious measures to reduce Russia's ability to wage war by limiting Kremlin revenues, disrupting the shadow fleet, tightening the Oil Price Cap, and reducing our remaining imports of Russian energy."
Zelensky on May 12 removed Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk from the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the top command and control body for all branches of Ukraine's defense apparatus.
Ukraine remains the most mined country in the world. Nearly one-third of Ukraine's territory, approximately 174,000 square kilometers, had been mined since Russia began its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
The phone call comes as Moscow once again rejected a 30-day ceasefire, with Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova claiming that a ceasefire would give "Kyiv a break to restore its military potential and continue its confrontation with Russia."
Flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport en-route to Kuala Lumpur International Airport on July 17, 2014. Three hours into the flight, the Boeing-777 was shot down by Russian proxy forces using a Buk surface-to-air missile above Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast.
"I am grateful for the support and the readiness at the highest level to promote diplomacy," President Volodymyr Zelensky said of the phone conservation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "We share the same view on the need for a ceasefire."
The convictions mark a significant development in Britain's efforts to counter Russian intelligence operations amid heightened tensions stemming from Moscow's war against Ukraine and repeated Kremlin threats toward Kyiv's allies.
Servicemen of the 155th Brigade of Ukraine's Armed Forces operate French-made CAESAR 155mm self-propelled howitzers on the frontline near Pokrovsk on Feb. 9, 2025, in Pokrovsk, Ukraine. (Pierre Crom / Getty Images)
Russia is concentrating its main offensive efforts on the Pokrovsk sector in Donetsk Oblast but is "stalling" and failing to advance, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on March 31.
Pokrovsk, situated about 70 kilometers northwest of Donetsk, remains one of the most hotly contested areas of the front. Syrskyi previously claimed that 7,000 Russian soldiers were killed near the town in January alone.
In February, the situation near Pokrovsk somewhat stabilized, with the Ukrainian military saying that Russian troops were "bogged down" near the city.
The commander-in-chief said Ukraine's main tasks are holding defensive lines and stabilizing threats, which have been partially achieved, particularly in the Pokrovsk direction.
"At the same time, our troops use active defense tactics wherever possible. In some areas of the front line, they are advancing, improving the tactical situation, restoring dozens of positions, and restraining significant enemy forces," Syrskyi posted on Facebook.
The estimated Russian advance in the Pokrovsk sector in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, as of March 31, 2025, according to DeepState map. A white symbol marks Pokrovsk. (DeepState / OpenStreetMaps)
President Volodymyr Zelensky previously warned of renewed Russian offensives across the front, including in Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
In March, Russia made major advances in its Kursk Oblast, a territory that Ukrainian forces took in August that Zelensky's administration had hoped to use as leverage in negotiations.
Capturing more Ukrainian territory would likely encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek even harsher conditions in a potential peace deal that the U.S. seeks to mediate.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Elsa Court
