The publications' latest report covers the period of February 24, 2022 to May 8, 2025. Since it was last updated at the end of April, 2,857 additional Russian military personnel have been confirmed killed.
Hungary cancelled a meeting planned for May 12 with a Ukrainian delegation on the rights of national minorities, Hungary's Deputy Foreign Minister said on May 11, amid a deepening spying scandal between the two countries.
Three were injured in Russia's Kursk Oblast when the town of Rylsk was allegedly struck by a missile attack on May 11, local governor Alexander Khinshtein claimed.
This week, the world watched in anticipation for Russia’s Victory Day parade after President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that he could not guarantee the safety of those attending. Meanwhile, the European Union moves one step forward to banning Russian gas from the European continent. It is also revealed this week that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has fallen out of step with the White House.
"(Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin... doesn't want to have a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the bloodbath. Ukraine should agree to this, immediately," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to to Antalya, Turkey, for a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting from May 14–16, where he is expected to address the war in Ukraine and push for stronger Allied defense commitments.
The Kremlin said the leaders held a detailed discussion about the Russian initiative and Erdogan expressed full support, reiterating Turkey’s readiness to provide a venue and assist in organizing the negotiations.
Erdogan told Macron that international cooperation is critical for initiating peace negotiations and the "sensitive implementation" of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction processes, the Turkish Presidency reported.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas speaks during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after their meeting in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, on April 24, 2023. (Photo: Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images)
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has indicated her interest in becoming the next NATO Secretary General, the Associated Press reported on Nov. 15.
When asked by reporters at the Politico Defence Summit in Washington whether she would like to be considered to become the next NATO chief, Kallas simply replied "Yes."
Kallas, a supporter of Ukraine's accession to NATO "when the conditions allow for it," is likely positioning herself for the top job at the Western military alliance when the position becomes vacant next year.
The current Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg previously confirmed that he will step down in October 2024 after having his term extended in the wake of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Kallas, a 46-year-old lawyer, was re-elected earlier this March after her Reform Party scored an overwhelming victory in the general election in which Ukraine emerged as a major theme.
A small Baltic nation of 1.3 million people, Estonia has thus far contributed the third-most bilateral aid to Ukraine as a share of its GDP, contributing 1.2% to support Ukraine.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
