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Stay on top of Russia-Ukraine war 05-30-2024 developments on the ground with KyivPost fact-based news, exclusive video footage, photos and updated war maps.
The tariffs will also be applied to products from Belarus, which served as a staging ground for Russia's attack on Ukraine.
EU states agreed on Thursday to impose "prohibitive" duties on grain imports from Russia in a bid to cut off revenues to Moscow for its war on Ukraine.
The European Union has hit Russia with multiple rounds of sanctions to inflict damage on Russia's war chest following its all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Ukrainian forces said earlier this year they were so low on supplies that they were forced to ration ammunition, letting Russia seize ground.
Ukraine will receive 50,000-100,000 shells in June under a Czech-led initiative to buy ammunition for the war-ravaged country largely outside Europe, a Czech official said Thursday.
Tomas Kopecny, the Czech government envoy for Ukraine reconstruction, told reporters that Ukraine, battling a Russian invasion since February 2022, could get millions of shells if allies managed to collect the money.
Several countries have now stated that they do not oppose the use of their weapons to strike military targets on Russian territory, emphasizing Ukraine's right to self-defense.
Military targets on the territory of Russia may soon come under fire from Western weapons systems as with each passing day more countries say they are disposed to allow Ukraine to use their weapons against military targets in Russia.
Which countries will allow cross-border use of their weapons?
Following UK PM Rishi Sunak’s unexpected call for a general election on July 4, the parliament was dissolved on Thursday May 30, though the government will continue to function as usual.
The UK dissolved its parliament on Thursday May 30 following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's recent unexpected call for a general election on July 4.
“All business in the House of Commons and House of Lords has come to an end,” read the British Parliament’s announcement, adding that all posts in the House of Commons became vacant prior to the upcoming election, though Members of the House of Lords would retain their position since they are appointed.
Many Ukrainians had to flee ahead of Russian forces, leaving homes and loved ones behind in the occupied territories. Some try to return for a visit, despite the danger and humiliation
Right after the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russian forces advanced so swiftly in some regions that many fleeing Ukrainians were unable to safeguard their property or evacuate relatives from the war zone.
As a result, it’s now common for Ukrainians to travel back to the occupied territories by various means and for diverse reasons – some go to visit relatives, others to sell property vulnerable to seizure. Kyiv Post interviewed two women from the Donetsk region who set out to visit their old homes.
After the Revolution of Dignity in 2014, the Ukrainian government asked the EU to help reform the law enforcement procedures in order to re-establish national and international trust.
Among the many international organizations present in Ukraine, today, one of the most decisive for Ukraine’s future is the European Union Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine). It was established in 2014 to further the events of the Revolution of Dignity, which in large part was a protest against the abuse of security forces. At that time the Ukrainian government asked the EU to help reform the State security bodies and law enforcement procedures, in order to re-establish national and international trust.
In 2023, the mandate of the European Union Advisory Mission in Ukraine (EUAM) was substantially adjusted, to take into account Russia’s war of aggression, as well as Ukraine’s EU candidate status. So, EUAM also advises Ukrainian government on security reforms that will contribute to Ukraine’s EU accession and also supports on the investigation procedures on international crimes in the territories liberated from Russian occupation.
Ministry uncompromising despite increase in demand.
Yesterday, demand was more than triple supply, but the Ministry of Finance kept their caps unchanged. At the same time, the MoF’s stubbornness in maintaining the cap combined with the significant demand, allowed the Ministry to reduce the cost of borrowing sharply.
Demand for one-year bills was twice the cap. Interest rates on this bill changed the least: the cut-off rate decreased by 7bp, and the weighted average by 9bp to 14.98% and 14.96%, respectively.
Reports suggest that NATO members can provide less than 5 percent of the air defense capability needed to protect Central and Eastern Europe from a full-scale attack.
NATO countries have insufficient air defense assets to protect the alliance's eastern flank from possible Russian attack, the Financial Times reports, citing its own informed sources.
Referring to confidential defense plans developed last year, the news site says NATO countries are able to provide less than 5 percent of the air defense capabilities deemed necessary to protect allies in Central and Eastern Europe from a full-scale attack.
When the EU slapped sanctions in 2022 on numerous sectors of the Russian economy, such as energy and banking, Europeans were careful not to target agricultural products or fertilisers.
Since its invasion of Ukraine, Russia's grain exports have not only been spared by European Union sanctions, but even stayed free of tariffs -- a seeming anomaly the bloc has now agreed to rectify.
There are many reasons for the current situation, including international trade rules, agricultural exemptions, and concerns over food security.
The exhibition highlights the situation faced by Russian political prisoners by showcasing 16 politicians, activists, artists and public figures held on anti-Kremlin charges.
The Faces of Russian Resistance is a series of exhibitions to be held in over 30 different cities around the world highlighting 16 politicians, activists, artists and public figures held by the Kremlin on political charges.
The series was organized by a group of Russians who oppose the government of Vladimir Putin, many of whom fled Russia under threat from the current regime. It began in Zurich, Switzerland in October 2023 and its latest port of call is Beursplein, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where it began on May 28 and will run until June 15.
The Biden administration has intensified warnings about China's support for Russia and issued an order in December threatening sanctions on institutions aiding Russia in bypassing Western sanctions.
The United States on Wednesday (29 May) accused China’s leadership of supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine and warned that Beijing could face further sanctions in response from the United States and other NATO countries.
Speaking to reporters on a visit to Brussels, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said there was an urgent need for European and NATO countries “to send a collective message of concern to China about its actions, which we view are destabilizing in the heart of Europe.”
Kremlin Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement reiterates Russian rhetoric that Moscow is open to peace talks but only under conditions Kyiv considers unacceptable.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told state media RIA Novosti that the Kremlin “remains open to negotiations” but there’s a need to consider “realities on the ground,” hinting at keeping occupied Ukrainian territories as a precondition, a notion considered unacceptable by Kyiv since day one of Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
Lavrov also praised Beijing’s “constructive line” in attempting to help settle the war in Ukraine, whose peace formula called for an end of hostilities under conditions that are favorable to Moscow.
According to an intercepted call, Russian forces are under constant fire from Ukrainian troops in the Kharkiv sector, forcing them to hide in “burrows.”
In an intercepted phone call, published by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) on Wednesday, May 29, a Russian stormtrooper described devastating Ukrainian first-person view (FPV) drone attacks causing heavy losses to Russian troops situated near Kupyansk in the Kharkiv sector.
“Special forces of the Special Operations Center “A” of the SBU, together with their comrades from the Ukrainian Defense Forces, daily destroy the invaders trying to break through the front in the Kharkiv region,” the SBU report said.
Why Ukraine needs long-range missiles to stymie Russia’s military offensive capability.
What is the meaning of the US’s decision to provide Ukraine with ATACMS?
Ukraine has never had missiles with such a long range. What does this mean for the resistance against Russia? Can it help?
The G-7 will soon discuss how Ukraine can benefit from Russia’s central bank’s frozen funds, as Moscow’s economy moves to a war footing and increases military spending by 70 percent.
The US will discuss details on how best to use frozen Russian Central Bank assets of $280 billion with Germany Wally Adeyemo, the US Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, said during a briefing to reporters on May 29 in Kyiv.
The US will find a solution to which all G-7 partners can agree, ensuring that it will “unlock economic value and have a meaningful value” for Ukraine, Adeyemo said.
The two-day gathering in the Czech capital is meant to focus on efforts to hammer out a package of support for Ukraine at NATO's summit in Washington in July.
NATO foreign ministers meet in Prague on Thursday in the face of growing calls for leading allies to lift restrictions stopping Kyiv from using Western weapons to strike inside Russia.
The two-day gathering in the Czech capital is meant to focus on efforts to hammer out a package of support for Ukraine at NATO's summit in Washington in July.
The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.
Police carried out raids on Wednesday in connection to “Russian interference” in the European Parliament, according to a statement by the federal prosecutor. The searches, conducted at a private residence in Brussels and European Parliament offices in Strasbourg and Brussels, are linked to the so-called Russiagate case, where MEPs were approached and paid to promote Russian propaganda via the Voice of Europe website. “There are indications that the European Parliament employee concerned played a significant role in this,” Belgian law enforcement said. The EU sanctioned Voice of Europe after the paid-for-propaganda scandal flared up in late March - Politico
A Hong Kong court has found 14 democracy activists guilty of subversion and acquitted two in the biggest national security case. They are among 47 who were charged but only 16 of them entered not guilty pleas - subversion carries a maximum term of life imprisonment. A total 47 were charged in 2021 with trying to “overthrow” the government by organising an unofficial election. From veteran politicians to student campaigners, they represent the gamut of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. Their arrest marked the biggest crackdown under the National Security Law (NSL) imposed by China in 2020. Beijing says the law is essential for Hong Kong’s stability but rights groups say it has crushed civil liberties and created a climate of fear - BBC
Kyiv Post’s intelligence sources report that Ukraine’s HUR successfully targeted twoboats of the KC-701 Tuna-class, which are utilized by Russian security forces for operations.
UPDATE: At 10 a.m., Ukraine's Military Intelligence released an official report on the strikes conducted in Crimea.
Kyiv Post’s intelligence sources reported that in the early morning on Thursday, May 30, special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) struck two Russian KC-701 Tuna-class boats using Magura V5 unmanned surface vehicles (USV), or naval drones.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported on the morning of May 30 that air defense units had intercepted 33 Shahed drones and 7 out of 11 launched cruise missiles overnight.
Russian forces launched yet another missile attack against Ukraine on Thursday morning, May 30, firing Shahed drones and missiles from at least four strategic bombers, targeting different regions across Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported on the morning of May 30 that air defense units had intercepted 33 Shahed drones and 7 out of 11 launched cruise missiles overnight, protecting regions including Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad and Vinnytsia regions.
In recent months Poland, a staunch Ukraine supporter, has seen several sabotage plots on its territory that it has blamed on neighbouring Russia.
Poland's security services said Wednesday that three people had been arrested on suspicion of carrying out arson attacks "on behalf" of Russia, while a Ukrainian man was charged with incitement to espionage against the NATO member.
In recent months Poland, a staunch Ukraine supporter, has seen several sabotage plots on its territory that it has blamed on neighbouring Russia.
Video footage showcases operations of multi-copter drones, which dropped explosive devices and hand grenades on Russian positions, leaving behind motionless bodies of Russian soldiers.
The State Border Service reported on Telegram the destruction of two Russian howitzers, dugouts, and the elimination of Russian personnel in the Bakhmut sector using drones.
“With FPV drones, the fighters of the Pomsta brigade ‘dismantled’ two enemy howitzers D-30 and D-20 in the Bakhmut sector,” the report said.
Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.
Key Takeaways from the ISW:
The press service of the Voronezh regional government in Russia reported on the successful holding of a “training and mobilization gathering” on May 28.
The government of Russia’s Voronezh region held a rehearsal for a new mobilization program having struggled to meet its targets during the 2022 conscription round as it did not have “an appropriate prepared base for this requirement.”
The event was reported by the regional government’s press service which quoted the Deputy Governor, Sergei Trukhachev, as saying it was attended by high-ranking officials, heads of districts and military commissars of municipalities, with the aim of increasing the “mobilization readiness of the Voronezh region” and conduct conscription training for its citizens.
