"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.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian attends a press conference in Beijing on Feb. 28, 2025. (Kyodo News / Getty Images)
Beijing supports all efforts toward achieving a lasting 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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and leaders of the U.K., France, Germany, and Poland have called for an unconditional ceasefire starting on May 12 as the necessary first step toward peace talks with Russia.
"We support all efforts conducive to peace and hope that relevant sides can continue to seek a fair, lasting, and binding peace agreement acceptable to all parties concerned," Lin said in response to a journalist, without commenting further on any specific ceasefire proposal.
The Kremlin has rejected the 30-day ceasefire proposal and instead called upon Ukraine to launch direct peace talks later this week. Zelensky retorted by inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin for a meeting in Turkey on May 15, while continuing to stress the need for a ceasefire.
Lin said that China "stands ready" to play its role in efforts to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine.
While China has claimed neutrality and positioned itself as a potential mediator in the war, it has simultaneously criticized the U.S. and its allies for "exacerbating" the war by supplying weapons to Ukraine. NATO has labeled China a "decisive enabler" of Russia's aggression.
Zelensky claimed on April 17 that China is supplying weapons to the Russian military, marking Kyiv's first confirmation that Beijing supports Russia's war effort by direct arms supplies.
Ukraine's military also captured two Chinese nationals fighting for Russia in Ukraine, claiming that hundreds more are serving in the Russian Armed Forces.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn
