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.
Cadets march along 25 October Street on Republic Day in Tiraspol, the capital of the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria, on Sept. 2, 2023. (Peter Dench/Getty Images)
The Russian-controlled Moldovan region of Transnistria will not appeal to join Russia, Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov told reporters at the "Ukraine. Year 2024" forum on Feb. 25.
Concerns arose after the Institute for the Study of War issued a warning on Feb. 22 that Transnistria was possibly planning to organize a referendum on its annexation to Russia at an announced Transnistrian Congress of Deputies planned for Feb. 28.
“No one is going to join the Russian Federation on the 28th,” Budanov said, adding that there would be no problems for Ukraine which borders Transnistria.
Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) also wrote on its website on Feb. 25 that the rumor shows signs of a “deliberate disinformation campaign aimed at destabilizing the situation in the region.”
Transnistria is internationally recognized as part of Moldova. The region declared independence in 1991 following the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt. A cease-fire agreement between Moldova and Transnistria established a Russian military presence in the region.
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the Russian proxy leader in Transnistria, called for increased military drills and heightened readiness on Jan. 22 in what he claimed was a response to alleged provocations from Moldova.
Kyiv said it would "firmly respond" to any attempts to involve Transnistria in Russia's war against Ukraine and destabilize the situation in Moldova, the Foreign Ministry said on Feb. 20.
Dominic is the business reporter for the Kyiv Independent. He has written for a number of publications including the Financial Times, bne IntelliNews, Radio Free Europe/Liberty, Euronews and New Eastern Europe. Previously, Dominic worked with StopFake as a disinformation expert, debunking Russian fake news in Europe.
Elsa Court
