"If the Russians are using this level of specialists in urban combat, they are probably facing some difficulties," Ivan Petrychak, spokesperson for the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade, said.
Previously, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused the Russian intelligence services of orchestrating a May 2024 arson attack on the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw.
"Perhaps in some areas, the intensity decreased slightly to create an image of compliance with their own announcement. But in reality, (Russia) continued attacks every day, using all available weapons — including aircraft to drop guided bombs on Ukraine," Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service, said.
Beijing supports all efforts toward achieving peace in Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on May 12 when asked about Kyiv and Europe's proposal for a 30-day truce.
"I invited His Holiness to make an apostolic visit to Ukraine. Such a visit would bring real hope to all believers and to all our people," Zelensky said.
Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak voiced doubt about leading negotiations with anyone from Russia except President Vladimir Putin, implying only the Russian leader can make real decisions.
This includes at least seven people injured in drone attacks overnight on May 12, a date from which Kyiv and its allies put forward a demand for a 30-day unconditional truce, a step that Moscow continues to reject.
"When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs," the Elysee Palace reacted to a fake story pushed by Russia.
The comments came after Trump urged Ukraine to agree to direct negotiations with Russia, which has invited Kyiv to peace talks in Istanbul on May 15, without first agreeing to halt military operations.
A Russian drone hit a civilian freight train in Donetsk Oblast on May 12 and injured its driver, Ukrainian Railways said amid Kyiv's calls for a ceasefire.
Moscow and Hanoi agreed to negotiate and sign agreements to construct nuclear power plants in Vietnam, the two countries said in a joint statement on May 11.
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.
Vsevolod Kniaziev, the former head of the Supreme Court, has been charged with bribery. Critics argue that the Kniazev case shows the failure of judicial reform. (Supreme Court press service)
The 18.17 million ($480,000) bail for Vsevolod Kniazev, the ex-chief of the Supreme Court arrested on corruption charges, was paid, Ukrainska Pravda and Ukrinform reported on Jan. 31, citing official sources.
Kniazev was detained and dismissed from his position in May 2023 after he was charged with accepting a $2.7 million bribe to rule in favor of Ukrainian billionaire Kostyantyn Zhevago.
"The set bail for Kniazev was deposited," a source in the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine told Ukrinform.
According to Ukrainska Pravda's source in anti-corruption agencies, the procedure for Kniazev's release from the pre-trial detention center is now underway.
The defendant's lawyer later told Ukrinform that the bail was paid by Kniazev's friends due to alleged "deterioration of his health."
On Jan. 30, the court extended Kniazev's detention until March 29 while also reducing his bail from Hr 20 million ($528,000) to Hr 18.7 million.
The sum of the bail was decreased several times since the arrest, originally being set at Hr 107.3 million ($2.8 million).
According to the investigation by Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies, the dismissed judge was allegedly receiving money in order to influence the court's decision in favor of billionaire Zhevago, who denied the accusations.
The Supreme Court considered the case on Zhevago's ownership of 40.19% of the Poltava Mining and Processing Plant, part of the Ferrexpo group. In April 2023, the court ruled to allow Zhevago to keep the shares.
Zhevago was formally charged with bribing Kniazev in August last year.
In another case, Kniazev was found guilty in December 2023 of illegally accepting a gift after it was revealed he was renting an apartment in an elite neighborhood of Kyiv for Hr 1,000 ($26) a month.
Oleg Sukhov
