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.
A photo alledging to show the Crocus City Hall on fire in Moscow, Russia, on March 22, 2024. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the veracity of the claim. (Stringer/AFP/Getty Images)
Editor's Note: This story contains descriptions of graphic scenes.
The Islamic State on March 23 released footage of the March 22 Crocus City Hall terrorist attack in a Moscow suburb.
The video was released through the Amaq News Agency, which is affiliated with the terrorist group.
Several gunmen opened fire at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, a Moscow suburb, on the evening of March 22, killing at least 137 people and injuring at least 140, according to the latest updates by the Russian authorities.
The ISIS footage shows the gunmen recording themselves as they pursue people through the lobby of the Crocus City Hall, firing at them from close range with assault weapons.
The footage also shows a gunman stabbing a body lying on the floor with a knife several times.
At one juncture, one of the gunmen instructs another to “kill them and have no mercy."
The Islamic State previously claimed responsibility for the attack in a post on Telegram.
U.S. intelligence officials confirmed the claim shortly after the post.
The Russian authorities claimed a total of 11 people involved in the shooting have been detained, four of whom were called “the perpetrators.”
Later that day, Amaq published pictures of four men with covered faces allegedly involved in the terrorist attack, making their reliable identification difficult.
The Insider, a Russian independent investigative outlet, reported that the clothes of some of the men seem to match those of alleged perpetrators detained by Russian security services, based on the footage that appeared on Telegram.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Despite the Islamic State claiming responsibility for the attack, Russian officials are attempting to connect it to Kyiv without providing any evidence. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has claimed that the detained suspects planned to flee to Ukraine.
Andrii Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's military intelligence agency, refuted Russia's claims as an attempt to accuse Ukraine of involvement in the attack.
“The version that the perpetrators of the terrorist attack were fleeing toward Ukraine does not withstand any criticism,” Yusov told national television.
Two weeks before the attack, the U.S. Embassy in Russia issued a warning on March 7 that “extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow” and urged American citizens to stay away from crowded areas and venues over the next 48 hours. The U.K., Canada, Germany, and several other countries published similar statements soon after.
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) called the shooting a “deliberate provocation by Putin's special services.” HUR claimed the attack was intended to justify “even tougher” strikes on Ukraine and total mobilization in Russia.
Alexander Khrebet is a reporter with the Kyiv Independent. He covers Ukraine’s foreign policy, alleged abuse of power in the country’s military leadership, and reports on the Russian-occupied territories. Alexander is the European Press Prize 2023 winner, the #AllForJan Award 2023 winner and Ukraine's 2022 National Investigative Journalism Award finalist. His was published in the Washington Times and Atlantic Council.
Martin Fornusek
