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.
Ukrainian soldiers operate a 2S1 Gvozdika ("Carnation") self-propelled howitzer in Kherson Oblast, Ukraine, on April 27, 2024. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
Russia's sabotage groups are trying to gain a foothold and have increased the number of attacks in Kherson Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Dec. 26 on national television.
Prokudin's statement comes amid an anticipated large-scale Russian advance in Kherson Oblast. In early December, Russian troops carried out assaults in the southern region to gain a foothold on islands in the Dnipro River delta.
"We are observing an increase in enemy activity. We understand the places where enemy airborne groups can land, and the (Ukrainian) Defense Forces are ready to destroy them," Prokudin said.
Attacks are "not rare," and Russian soldiers are trying to gain a foothold on the western bank of the Dnipro regularly, according to the governor. However, none of these attempts have been successful, he added.
Russian diversionary groups are trying to gain a foothold on the islands near Kherson or on the western bank of the river every day, Prokudin said, adding that "all the diversionists were eliminated."
The Russian military has been trying to advance on Kozatsky Island, Velykyi Potemkin Island, and the southern island of Zabych in recent weeks, Vladyslav Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Southern Command, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on Dec. 24.
Kherson and other regional settlements west of the Dnipro River have been subjected to near-daily Russian strikes since Ukraine liberated the area in November 2022, pushing Russian troops to the east of the river.
Russian troops have intensified ground attacks in several areas along the front line over the past few days but failed to break through Ukraine's defense lines, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Dec. 19.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Asami Terajima
