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.
"This is a historic decision, as weapons for Ukraine will be purchased at the expense of the proceeds from frozen Russian assets through the European Peace Fund," Denys Shmyhal said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with injured Ukrainian soldiers in Kyiv on Jan. 19, 2025. (Presidential Office)
President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska on Jan. 19 visited soldiers undergoing medical treatment after in Kyiv being wounded at the front and discussed issues related to mental health and disability access.
Zelensky met with soldiers that were injured while fighting in Pokrovsk, Kharkiv Oblast, and Russia's Kursk Oblast.
"We want to thank you for defending our country and our people, for your service across different fronts," the president said.
"Every front is important, and you served on the most challenging ones. You are our heroes, and we are deeply grateful to each of you."
Wounded soldiers were presented with awards, including the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi.
Zelensky and the first lady, alongside Veterans Affairs Minister Natalia Kalmykova, met with military medics and psychologists to discuss the steps the country has taken to combat the negative impact Russia's war has on mental well-being among Ukrainian soldiers.
These include introducing operational combat stress control groups, developing psychological rehabilitation departments within hospitals, and increasing access to education in the field of psychology.
Mental health support should be comprehensive and extend beyond injured soldiers, the first lady said.
"We need to ensure that support is comprehensive. For example, in hospitals, it should extend not only to wounded soldiers but also to their family members and the medical staff working in high-stress conditions," Zelenska said.
Zelensky also highlighted the Movement Without Barriers project, an initiative piloting new wheelchair-accessible routes in 12 cities. The project is being implemented by the community and territorial development ministry as part of Zelenska's initiative.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
