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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation leaders' summit in Samarkand on Sept. 16, 2022. (Photo: Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone call on Aug. 2, discussing the grain deal and a possible meeting of the two leaders, the Kremlin announced on its website.
The Turkish Anadolu Agency said earlier on Aug. 2 that the leaders agreed to meet in Turkey, citing Erdogan's press office.
Putin and Erdogan reportedly talked about the potential restoration of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. According to the Anadolu Agency, Erdogan emphasized the deal's role in pushing down food prices, calling it a "bridge of peace."
He also told the news agency that Turkey carries out intensive diplomatic efforts to restart the grain corridor.
According to the Kremlin's press service, Putin said he is willing to restore the grain corridor once the West "fulfills all the obligations to Russia" regarding the deal. Putin noted that Russia is working on ways to supplant Ukraine's grain with its own products and voiced hope for Turkey's cooperation in the plan.
Russia unilaterally terminated the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which previously allowed Ukraine to export its grain amid the ongoing Russian full-scale invasion, on July 17.
Putin justified the decision ahead of a July 27-28 summit with African leaders by saying the deal only served to enrich Western businesses and that promises about facilitating Russia's grain and fertilizer exports had not been met.
Moscow's decision caused spikes in wheat prices and fears about food security worldwide, especially in the Global South, strengthened by Russian attacks against Ukraine's port infrastructure.
Turkey, positioning itself as a mediator between the belligerents of the war, played a crucial role in brokering the grain deal in July 2022. Since the agreement's collapse, Ankara has been in contact both with Kyiv and Moscow, discussing the options for its restoration.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Anastasiia Lapatina
