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.
Soldiers of the Adam Group operate an FPV drone at front-line positions in Donetsk Oblast on Aug. 3, 2023. (Francis Farrell/Kyiv Independent)
Russian forces have almost doubled first-person view drone (FPV) attacks in three southern regions of Ukraine over the past day, Ukraine's Southern Command reported on March 24.
FPV drones are cheap to manufacture. They offer precise targeting capabilities and can be flown directly into targets, possessing the capacity to destroy significantly more costly military hardware.
Over the past day, the Russian forces deployed 234 FPV drones in Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, increasing their number by almost 40%, according to the report.
Drones play a wide-ranging role on both sides of Russia's war against Ukraine, from basic reconnaissance to long-range strikes deep behind the enemy's lines. The full-scale invasion has fueled a significant increase in the production of drones, as well as their technical innovation.
The same day, Russian forces carried out pinpoint strikes with cruise and ballistic missiles in the Mykolaiv Oblast, with a hit recorded in open territory outside populated areas.
No casualties were reported in the Mykolaiv Oblast attacks.
The Ukrainian military also said that Russian forces deployed 13 Lancet combat drones and dropped 269 munitions from various drones over the past day.
“There is a steady trend of at least a 15% increase daily. But our electronic warfare systems are effectively combatting them,” the Southern Command said in a Telegram post.
Alexander Khrebet is a reporter with the Kyiv Independent. He covers Ukraine’s foreign policy, alleged abuse of power in the country’s military leadership, and reports on the Russian-occupied territories. Alexander is the European Press Prize 2023 winner, the #AllForJan Award 2023 winner and Ukraine's 2022 National Investigative Journalism Award finalist. His was published in the Washington Times and Atlantic Council.
Alexander Query
