The sanctions appear to be in response to Russia's rejection of a 30-day ceasefire that the U.K., alongside Ukraine, France, Germany, and Poland, demanded during a visit to Kyiv on May 10.
"We now know for sure that the great fire of the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw was caused by arson ordered by the Russian special services," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X. "Some of the perpetrators have already been detained, all the others are identified and searched for."
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.
U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin (L) and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov attend the seventh gathering of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at Ramstein air base on March 19, 2024, in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. (Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images)
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin opened the 20th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) held in Ramstein, Germany, on March 19.
The meeting comes at a precarious time for Ukraine and its allies, as Russia ramps up pressure along the front and $60 billion in aid from the U.S., a key military donor, remains stalled by disputes in Congress.
In his opening words, Austin thanked German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius for hosting the event and Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov for attending in person.
"Russia has paid a staggering cost for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's imperial dreams. At least 315,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded since Putin's all-out invasion in February 2022," Austin said.
"Russia has squandered up to $211 billion to equip, deploy, maintain, and sustain its imperial aggression against Ukraine."
According to the U.S. defense chief, the war will cost Russia $1.3 trillion dollars in anticipated economic growth through 2026. Austin noted that Ukraine continues to degrade Russia's military capabilities, destroying or damaging 20 military vessels and a number of warplanes.
"The United States will not let Ukraine fail. This coalition will not let Ukraine fail, and the free world will not let Ukraine fail," Austin pledged.
The defense secretary reminded that Washington has recently announced a defense aid package of $300 million, financed through unanticipated contract savings. A much larger aid bill remains blocked, however, largely due to opposition by parts of the Republican Party and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
"We remain determined to provide Ukraine with the resources it needs to resist the Kremlin's aggression," Austin said, pointing out recent initiatives and defense aid packages from countries like Czechia, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, or France.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Kate Tsurkan
