"I have great hope that an agreement for a ceasefire in Ukraine will be reached this weekend," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on May 9, shortly before traveling to Kyiv alongside the leaders of France, Poland, and the U.K.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will arrive in Kyiv early on May 10.
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.
A stork flies above a wheat field as a combine harvester of TVK Seed agricultural company harvests wheat on July 29, 2022 not far from Myronivka, Ukraine.. (Alexey Furman/Getty Images)
Ukraine exported 4.1 million tons of agricultural products in April, marking a 23.4% decrease from March figures, reported the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB).
"This export decrease follows typical seasonal patterns. The majority of harvested produce has already been exported, with only minor volumes remaining for export," the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club said.
Agriculture represents about 20% of Ukraine's GDP, making it a cornerstone of the economy. The sector has sustained approximately $80 billion in losses since Russia's full-scale invasion began, according to Agriculture Minister Vitalii Koval.
UCAB data shows April exports declined across most agricultural categories, with vegetable oils being the only exception, showing a 6% increase from March.
Grain exports, which make up the largest share of Ukraine's agricultural exports, fell 33% month-over-month to 2.4 million tons. Corn represented 65% of grain exports, followed by wheat at 32% and barley at 2%.
Oilseed exports declined marginally by 3% to 421,200 tons, with soybeans accounting for 78% of the category.
According to UCAB, the unusual growth in Ukrainian sunflower oil exports during this period is connected to production being spread over a longer timeframe this year.
Throughout the full-scale war, Moscow has tried to block Ukraine's exports by controlling the Black Sea and attempting to replace Ukrainian products globally with its own, including grain reportedly taken from occupied territories.
In October 2024, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal accused Russia of stealing millions of tons of Ukrainian grain from occupied territories, claiming that at least 180,000 tons were taken through Mariupol alone.
On April 25, Ukrainian security services detained a Russian 'shadow fleet' ship allegedly carrying stolen Ukrainian grain from Crimea.
After Russia's temporary Black Sea blockade, Ukraine established a new maritime trade route in 2023, reviving its agricultural exports. Agricultural products now account for 59% of the country's total exports.
In 2024, Ukraine's agricultural exports reached $24.5 billion, approaching the record-breaking 2021's $27.7 billion.
Andrea Januta
