Russian invasion

The fighting
American was a spy – gets Russian citizenship

An American citizen who spied on Ukraine for the Kremlin has been granted Russian citizenship, several media outlets report.

Daniel Martindale from New York lived in Ukraine during the first phase of the war. At that time, he contacted Russian soldiers on Telegram to offer help. From there, he spied on Ukrainian forces and contributed “valuable intelligence” for two years before being evacuated by the Kremlin.

Denis Pushilin, the leader of Russian-occupied areas in Donetsk, Ukraine, says that Martindale’s information helped the Russian army take over the city of Kurakhove in January, among other things.

Now the Kremlin is paying attention to Martindale’s new citizenship in several parts of the country.

The sanctions
New sanctions package “strikes at the Russian war machine”

The EU has imposed an 18th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting the country’s banks as well as the energy and defense industries. This was announced by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, according to Reuters.

The package also includes a new price cap for Russian oil of $47.6 per barrel. In addition, a ban on transactions related to Russia's Nord Stream gas pipeline has been introduced.

"The EU has just approved one of the largest sanctions packages against Russia ever," writes EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas on X.

von der Leyen writes that the package strikes "at the heart of Russia's war machine." France's Foreign Minister calls the new sanctions "unprecedented." 

Zelenskyj praises the sanctions package: "Necessary"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj praises the EU's new sanctions package against Russia, reports AFP.

"This decision is decisive and well-timed, especially now that Russia has intensified the brutality of its attacks," he writes on social media.

Earlier today, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the introduction of an 18th package of sanctions targeting Russian banks and the country's energy and defense industries, calling it "one of the largest ever."