"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.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stands during a press conference on the sidelines of the 31st Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Summit in Ta'Qali, Malta, on December 5, 2024. (Alberto Pizzoli / AFP via Getty Images)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed on March 26 that resuming Russian energy supplies to Europe is in the interest of both Moscow and Washington, alleging discussions about Nord Stream pipelines, state-owned news agency TASS reported.
"Now, of course, there are disagreements. But the interest in restoring normal energy supply to Europe is not the interest of the United States and Russia alone," Lavrov said.
"There is talk about Nord Stream. It will probably be interesting if the Americans use their influence on Europe and force it not to give up Russian gas," he claimed.
The Nord Stream pipelines, which connect Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, were key routes for Russian gas exports to Europe. Nord Stream 1 began operations in 2011, while Nord Stream 2 was completed but never became operational.
In September 2022, three of the four pipelines were severely damaged in an apparent sabotage attack. The incident effectively ended Russian gas flows to Europe through the route, forcing EU nations to diversify energy supplies.
Lavrov accused European leaders of blocking efforts to restore Nord Stream, targeting German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
"They all say that they will never allow Nord Stream to be restored. These are either sick people or suicides," Lavrov claimed.
This comes as Matthias Warnig, a former East German intelligence officer and longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is reportedly lobbying U.S. officials to support a potential restart of Nord Stream 2.
Warnig, who led the pipeline's parent company on behalf of Kremlin-controlled gas giant Gazprom until 2023, is allegedly trying to establish contact with U.S. President Donald Trump's team through American business figures.
Any deal to revive Nord Stream 2 would require Washington to lift sanctions and for Germany to approve resuming Russian gas imports, according to the Financial Times.
The Trump administration has sought to broker a peace deal in Ukraine while restoring ties with Russia, reportedly eyeing cooperation in the energy sector and the Arctic.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Martin Fornusek
