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.
Photo for illustrative purposes. A Russian A-50 airplane and Su-27 fighter jets fly over the Kremlin near Red Square in Moscow on May 6, 2010. (Alexey Sazonov/AFP via Getty Images)
The Ukrainian Air Force destroyed a Russian A-50 military aircraft and an Il-22 airborne control center, Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said on Jan. 15.
His confirmation came a day after RBC-Ukraine and several other Ukrainian media outlets reported on the downing of a Russian A-50 plane over the Azov Sea, citing an unnamed source in the Ukrainian military. The RBC-Ukraine source said that an Il-22 was also hit and damaged.
"I thank the Air Force for a perfectly planned and executed operation in the Pryazovia region," Zaluzhnyi said on Telegram.
He didn't share further details, but according to reports, the A-50 plane was shot down immediately after it went on duty in the Kyrylivka area of Zaporizhzhia Oblast at 9:10 p.m. local time.
0:00
/
The downing of a Russian A-50 military aircraft and an Il-22 airborne control center on Jan. 14, 2024. (Valerii Zaluzhnyi/Telegram)
According to RBC-Ukraine, the Il-22M was on duty in the Strilkove area of Kherson Oblast before it was reportedly hit along the coast of the Azov Sea at around 9 p.m. local time.
Russia's A-50 aircraft provides several critical functions for the ongoing war in Ukraine, such as detecting air defense systems, guided missiles, and coordinating targets for Russian fighter jets. Russia only possesses nine of these planes.
In late December 2023, Ukrainian forces destroyed four Russian planes in a week — three Russian Su-34 supersonic fighter-bomber aircraft and one Su-34 fighter-bomber jet near occupied Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast.
According to the military, Russian troops drastically reduced the number of attacks in the Tavria sector of the front line after these losses.
Toma Istomina
