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.
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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko after he gave him the Saint Andrew's Order during their meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, on Oct. 9, 2024. (Contributor/Getty Images)
The involvement of North Korean troops in Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine would be "a step towards escalation," Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview with the BBC published on Oct. 23.
Speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Lukashenko dismissed reports that North Korea had sent its soldiers to aid Russia's war effort, describing them as "rubbish."
"Knowing his character (Russian President Vladimir) Putin would never try to persuade another country to involve its army in Russia’s special operation in Ukraine," he said.
"It would be a step towards the escalation of the conflict if the armed forces of any country, even Belarus, were on the contact line."
According to Lukashenko, the West could respond to such a move by deploying NATO troops in Ukraine.
"Even if we got involved in the war this would be a path to escalation. Why? Because you, the Anglo-Saxons, would immediately say that another country had got involved on one side... so Nato troops would be deployed to Ukraine."
While Belarus, an ally of Russia, hasn't directly participated in the war, it has allowed the Kremlin to use its territory as a staging ground for its operations against Ukraine.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), said that the first North Korean units were expected to arrive in Kursk Oblast on Oct. 23. Ukraine began a cross-border incursion in August and still holds significant swathes of territory there.
Earlier in October, Budanov said that the first group would consist of 2,600 soldiers.
Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin confirmed on Oct. 23 that North Korean soldiers are in Russia without elaborating on their numbers and tasks.
Two North Korean brigades of up to 6,000 personnel each are currently undergoing training in Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. According to military intelligence, some North Korean officers are already in the occupied territories of Ukraine, he said on Oct. 17.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
