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.
Estonia's Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur speaks to the press as he arrives for a meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Brussels on Nov. 19, 2024. (Nicolas Tucat/AFP via Getty Images)
A ceasefire in Ukraine would increase security risks for the Baltic states, as Russia would continue rearming and moving troops to NATO's northeastern border, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said in an interview with the Financial Times published on March 30.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked concerns that the Baltic countries, which are among Moscow's biggest critics and Kyiv's staunchest allies since day one of the all-out war, could become the next target for aggression.
These fears are reinforced as the West is growing more divided due to U.S. President Donald Trump's U-turn in foreign policy.
"We all understand that when the war in Ukraine will be stopped, Russia will redistribute its forces very quickly. That means also the threat level will increase significantly very quickly," Pevkur said.
According to the Estonian minister, 300,000 of the 600,000 Russian troops currently in Ukraine are likely to be redeployed. He says Russian soldiers will not return home because their salaries in the army are five to 10 times higher than what they could receive elsewhere in Russia.
Western leaders and intelligence agencies have warned of a potential large-scale war in Europe within the next five years, citing Russia's increasingly aggressive posture.
Pevkur's warnings echo those of Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene. Last week, she said Moscow would use the time after the ceasefire to speed up its military buildup.
"They (Russia) already have a huge, battlefield-trained army, which is going to get even bigger," Sakaliene said.
The two ministers also warned against the redeployment of any NATO troops from their countries to form a so-called Europe-led "reassurance force" that may be sent to Ukraine as a means of deterring Russia from a new attack.
"We cannot fall into the trap that our forces are somehow fixed in Ukraine. Then we will have risks at our border," Pevkur added.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Yuliia Taradiuk
