Both men face charges related to terrorism and espionage. Daniil B. was detained in Lithuania, where he is in temporary custody, while Oleksandr V. remains at large in Russia.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine and its allies discussed tougher sanctions against Russia's banking sector, central bank, and energy industry.
The EU plans to unveil on May 14 its next package of sanctions imposed against Russia over its aggression against Ukraine, an EU official told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity.
Polish truckers plan to restrict freight traffic at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint on the Ukrainian border, Ukraine's State Border Guard said on May 12.
"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.
Friedrich Merz (R), the head of the German opposition CDU party, arriving in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 9, 2024. (Friedrich Merz/X)
Friedrich Merz, the leading contender to become Germany's next chancellor, criticized his country's arms policy during his visit to Kyiv on Dec. 9, likening it to forcing Ukraine to fight with one hand tied behind its back.
During his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Merz condemned the German government's hesitance to provide long-range weaponry like Taurus cruise missiles. Merz's CDU alliance, currently leading in polls by over 10% points, positions itself as a staunch supporter of Ukraine's military needs.
"We want your army to be capable of hitting military bases in Russia. Not the civilian population, not infrastructure, but the military targets from which your country is being attacked," Merz said.
His comments reflect growing frustration in Kyiv over Germany's cautious stance, which Chancellor Olaf Scholz defends as necessary to avoid escalating tensions with Russia.
Scholz, who recently visited Kyiv himself, portrays his approach as measured and aimed at avoiding actions that could be perceived as direct German involvement in the war. He has resisted calls to supply Taurus missiles, citing risks of escalation and nuclear retaliation.
Germany remains a major financial and military supporter of Ukraine and hosts over a million Ukrainian refugees. However, its flagging economy and public fatigue over the war have emboldened populist parties from both the left and right to challenge the prevailing pro-Ukraine consensus, according to Reuters.
Both Scholz and Merz are leveraging the Ukraine issue to solidify their voter bases, though with different narratives.
President Zelensky thanked both German leaders for their visits and continued support but echoed Merz's sentiment on the need for enhanced military aid. "Putin doesn't want to end this war. He must be forced to, and he can only be forced if Ukraine is strong," Zelenskiy said.
Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
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