"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.
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.
Victoria Spartz, who represents the Republican Party in the U.S. House of Representatives, attends a news conference in Rayburn Building, Washington D.C., on March 1, 2022. (Getty Images)
Republican Congressional Representative Victoria Spartz, the only U.S. lawmaker born in Ukraine, has submitted amendments calling for reductions to the proposed Ukrainian aid package that is set to be voted on this Saturday in the U.S. House of Representatives.
One of Spartz's amendments suggests removing provisions from the proposed law regarding the PDA program, which allows the White House to supply weapons directly from U.S. military stockpiles to Ukraine.
Additionally, Spartz's amendments target economic aid included in Johnson's proposal. She proposes eliminating a clause of over $7.8 billion in loan assistance, as well as preventing the U.S. president from forgiving Ukraine's debt under specific conditions.
The fourth amendment eliminates $481 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services designated for refugees. Lastly, the fifth proposes barring countries affected by the war in Ukraine from utilizing funds within the FMF program, which allows for the direct purchase of weapons from manufacturers to support a U.S. ally's needs.
Spartz was born in a small city in Chernihiv Oblast, and moved to the U.S. in 2000. She became the first Ukrainian-born member of Congress in 2021 and has been known for her staunch support of former President Donald Trump.
Sonya Bandouil
