"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.
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.
Kupiansk city administration building following a Russian airstrike on the city on Feb. 17, 2024. (Photo by Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov announced on March 7 that local authorities would conduct mandatory evacuation of residents living in communities near Kupiansk.
Kupiansk is a crucial strategic city in Kharkiv Oblast that was temporarily occupied by Russian troops in 2022. Kupiansk has recently been under heavy attacks as Russia intensified assault attempts in the area.
All residents will be evacuated from 57 settlements, Syniehubov said.
All children along with a parent or legal guardian will be evacuated from 18 settlements in Velykoburlutska and Vilkhuvatska communities.
According to Syniehubov, 110 children currently reside in the Velykoburlutska community and 51 in the Vilkhuvatska community.
Syniehubov said that these residents will be relocated within Kharkiv Oblast and to other regions of Ukraine. The accommodation is already prepared for them, according to the official.
"We must protect families with children from Russian terror of civilians in the Kharkiv region," he said.
Ukraine's Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Group reported on Feb. 26 that Russia continues to concentrate its forces near Kharkiv Oblast's Kupiansk.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) earlier warned that Russia could replicate its successful tactics in Avdiivka on a larger scale if the West continues to delay military assistance.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Asami Terajima
