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.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby in D.C. on Feb. 15, 2024. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Russia has begun to deploy its forces to Kursk Oblast, but the exact number of Russian troops currently in place or awaiting redeployment is unknown, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Aug. 15 in an interview with MSNBC channel.
Ukraine has achieved tactical success in its Kursk incursion, claiming to control 82 Russian settlements, including the town of Sudzha, as of Aug. 15, according to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Ukraine also established the first military administration in the Ukrainian-held parts of Russia's Kursk Oblast, which will be led by General Eduard Moskaliov, a former commander of the Joint Forces, Syrskyi added.
Kirby declined to assess the Ukrainian operation in Kursk Oblast but said that the U.S. was monitoring Russia's reaction and the redeployment of its troops.
The U.S. is in "real-time" contact with Ukraine to better understand the situation in Kursk Oblast, he added.
"In the meantime, we are going to continue to make sure that Ukraine has the weapons and capabilities that it needs to defend itself. We are going to continue to talk to Ukrainians," Kirby said.
Kirby refused to answer a question about further missile shipments to Ukraine, adding that the U.S. will announce new aid packages "in the coming weeks."
While U.S. officials have not yet determined the exact number of troops Russia has sent to combat Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast, "multiple brigade-sized elements made up of at least 1,000 troops each appeared to have shifted" to the region, CNN reported on Aug. 15, citing two unnamed senior U.S. officials.
On Aug. 15, a source close to President Volodymyr Zelensky's administration told the Kyiv Independent that discussions between Ukraine and U.S. President Joe Biden's administration about supplies of long-range cruise missiles are "in the advanced stages."
The timeline of when the missiles could arrive in Ukraine is unclear, the source said, adding that sometime this fall is in consideration.
President Zelensky's Office declined to comment on the matter.
According to Politico, the U.S. is considering providing Ukraine with JASSM missiles, which can be launched over 200 miles (nearly 322 kilometers) from fourth-generation F-16s.
While the U.S. currently has a ban on supplying long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, a reversal of the ban would not be unprecedented. Since the beginning of the war, the U.S. has reversed policies banning Patriot air defense systems, M1 Abrams tanks, F16 fighter jets and many other weapons platforms from entering the battlefield.
Francis Farrell
