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.
According to the Verkhovna Rada's website, Ukraine completed the ratification of the U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement on May 12. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the deal.
"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.
A building on fire following a Russian missile strike in Lviv Oblast on Aug. 15, 2023. (Photo: Maksym Kozytskyi/Telegram)
Editor's note: This story is being updated as new details of the attack's aftermath emerge.
Early in the morning of Aug. 15, Russia carried out a mass missile strike against Ukraine, which killed three people and injured at least 10, according to regional authorities.
The attack damaged civilian facilities in eight Ukrainian regions, including residential buildings, educational institutions, and a hospital, said Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Russian forces launched a total of 28 air and sea-based cruise missiles of various types, the Air Force reported.
This number includes 20 Kh-101/Kh-555 missiles, four Kh-22, and four Kalibr missiles, according to the Air Force. They were launched from the Russian airfields of Soltsy, Shaykovka, Engels, and Olenegorsk, and from a ship stationed near Yalta in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Ukraine’s air defenses shot down 16 Kh-101/Kh-555 and Kalibr missiles, according to the Air Force.
Russian troops also fired eight S-300/S-400 missiles at Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, the Air Force added. S-300/S-400 are Soviet-designed air-defense systems that Russia repurposed to attack Ukraine.
Two cruise missiles hit an industrial facility in the western Ukrainian city of Lutsk, 85 kilometers east of the border with Poland, according to Volyn Oblast Governor Yurii Pohuliaiko. As of 8 a.m. local time, three people are confirmed killed and three more injured, said Pohuliaiko. First responders are working on the spot.
Around 150 kilometers southeast, in Lviv, a rocket hit the backyard of a local kindergarten, and 20 more buildings were damaged, including a medical college and industrial facilities, reported the regional governor Maksym Kozytskyi. Nineteen houses and several cars were also damaged in the villages of Stavchany and Sukhovolia near Lviv, wrote Kozytskyi.
The sports facility in Dnipro damaged by Russia's missile strike on Aug. 15, 2023. (Serhii Lysak/Telegram)
An apartment building in Lviv damaged by Russia's missile strike on Aug. 15, 2023. (Andrii Sadovyi/Telegram)
A house damaged by missile debris in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast during Russia's mass missile strike against Ukraine on Aug. 15, 2023. (Svitlana Onyshchuk/Telegram)
A house in Stavchany, Lviv Oblast, damaged by Russia's missile strike on Aug. 15, 2023. (Maksym Kozytskyi/Telegram)
The aftermath of Russia's missile strike in Stavchany, Lviv Oblast, on Aug. 15, 2023. (Maksym Kozytskyi/Telegram)
The aftermath of Russia's missile strike in Stavchany, Lviv Oblast, on Aug. 15, 2023. (Maksym Kozytskyi/Telegram)
Five people in Lviv Oblast were hospitalized following the attack, according to the governor. Ten more people received scratches, cuts, and bruises due to smashed windows, he added. "The youngest victim is ten years old, while the oldest is 72."
In Ukraine’s eastern city of Dnipro, Russian troops hit an industrial enterprise, causing a fire covering over 800 square meters, the regional governor Serhii Lysak reported. The strike also damaged a local sports facility. Two people aged 59 and 70 were wounded, with one hospitalized in moderate condition, according to Lysak.
Russian missiles also hit an enterprise and a medical facility in Smila, Cherkasy Oblast, according to Governor Ihor Taburets. No casualties were reported, but the strike damaged water and heat supply infrastructure, the official said.
Russia also targeted Kyiv Oblast overnight, Ruslan Kravchenko, the regional governor, said on Facebook. According to Kravchenko, there were no hits on critical or residential infrastructure, no casualties or falling debris.
Air defense was also working in Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts, according to the regional governors.
Missile fragments fell into the yard of a private residence in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, damaging the house and outbuildings, Governor Svitlana Onyshchuk wrote. No casualties were reported.
In Kyiv and Khmelnytskyi oblasts, no casualties or damages were reported.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
