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.
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.
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.
Soldiers of the Armed Forces inspect FPV drones during the handover from the volunteer organization in Lviv, Ukraine, on Sep. 13, 2024. (Stanislav Ivanov / Getty Images)
The number of Russian targets destroyed by Ukrainian drones increased by 22% in February compared to January, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on March 10, underscoring the importance of unmanned systems on the battlefield.
The commander noted that first-person-view (FPV) drones and multi-rotor bombers remain the most effective tools.
"Unmanned systems have become one of the most important elements of warfare that save the lives of our soldiers," Syrskyi said after a monthly meeting on drone development. He stressed the need to introduce a unified standard for unmanned systems in Ukraine’s Armed Forces to improve coordination between units.
Syrskyi also warned that Russia is rapidly adapting to Ukraine’s drone warfare strategies and developing its own technologies, including fiber-optic-controlled drones.
"We have no right to lag behind... (Russia) in the technological war and must strengthen ourselves at the expense of our own resources," he added.
Kyiv has significantly expanded domestic drone production over the past year, integrating drones into reconnaissance and combat operations. On Feb. 9, the Defense Ministry launched the "Drone Line" initiative to accelerate their deployment on the battlefield.
Ukraine has also developed long-range missile-drone hybrids, such as the Palianytsia and Peklo models, featuring turbojet engines as alternatives to cruise missiles. President Volodymyr Zelensky has set a target of producing at least 30,000 long-range drones in 2025.
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.
David Junk
