The United States embassy in Kyiv on May 9 issued a warning that Russia could launch "a potentially significant" attack in the coming days, despite Putin's self-declared Victory Day "truce."
The sanctioned oil tankers have transported over $24 billion in cargo since 2024, according to Downing Street. The U.K. has now sanctioned more shadow fleet vessels than any other country.
The sanctions list includes 58 individuals and 74 companies, with 67 Russian enterprises related to military technology.
Washington and its partners are considering additional sanctions if the parties do not observe a ceasefire, with political and technical negotiations between Europe and the U.S. intensifying since last week, Reuters' source said.
Despite the Kremlin's announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the front line.
The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
Peter Szijjarto's announcement came after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) allegedly dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast.
Moscow and Washington discuss the potential resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe, among other issues related to the peaceful settlement of Russia's war in Ukraine, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed to the Russian state-run Interfax news agency.
Media: Ukraine refuses to accept some Leopard 1 tanks from Germany, Denmark due to defects

Ukraine refused to accept some outdated Leopard 1A5 battle tanks from Denmark and Germany due to numerous defects, Danish broadcaster DR reported on May 24, citing Danish Defense Ministry documents.
The defense ministers of Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands promised to send Kyiv at least 100 refurbished Leopard 1A5s from industrial stocks.
The documents said the first tanks were scheduled to be delivered in July 2023. However, the shipment was reportedly delayed because the German defense company KMW faced difficulties in preparing them.
Only 20 tanks had been delivered as of September last year, DR wrote. After receiving and inspecting them, Ukraine found that 18 of the 20 tanks received had minor defects or malfunctions, and two had “more serious defects,” the documents said.
Some tanks were reportedly delivered with guns that could not fire.
“This means that none of the newly repaired and delivered tanks were ready for combat,” the broadcaster reported.
Ukraine refused to accept any tanks in the fall of 2023, telling Denmark and Germany that it could not use them due to their poor condition.
The Kyiv Independent sent a request for comment to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry but has not received a response at the time of publication.
Denmark’s Defense Ministry confirmed to DR that Berlin decided to accept help from Danish mechanics. As of now, “more than 90 tanks” have been repaired, but not all have been delivered.
Berlin, Ukraine's second-largest military donor after Washington, has handed over another delivery of military aid to Ukraine, the German government said on May 22. The latest tranche included Leopard 1 tanks from Germany and Denmark, dozens of reconnaissance drones, ammunition, and other aid.

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