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.
Ukrainian soldiers in the destroyed city of Avdiivka on Oct. 26, 2023, in Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast. (Vlada Liberova / Libkos via Getty Images)
Russian forces prepare the third wave of Avdiivka offensive in Donetsk Oblast, the Ukrainian army's Tavria group spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun told national television on Nov. 18.
Russian forces intensified ground attacks against Avdiivka and surrounding settlements in early October, in an attempt to encircle the town. The campaign has been supported by heavy shelling and air strikes, which continue to inflict casualties among civilian residents.
“We are expecting the third wave of offensive - an attempt to encircle Adviivka,” Shtupun said.
Ukrainian forces hold the defense lines in the Avdiiivka axis while conducting an offensive in Melitopol direction, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander of the Tavria Group, reported on Nov. 18.
The attacks on Avdiivka, the gateway to occupied Donetsk, have been very costly for Moscow.
According to the Ukrainian military, Russian forces lostaround 10,000 soldiers, more than 100 tanks, over 250 other armored vehicles, and seven Su-25 aircraft in the month of fighting near the front-line town.
Russia has been trying to capture the small town just north of occupied Donetsk since 2014.
Reports of another Russian offensive on Avdiivka occur against the backdrop of reports of the potential dismissal of three Ukrainian commanders and further reshuffle in Ukraine's military leadership.
The Defense Ministry is considering potential dismissal of three commanders within Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported on Nov. 13, citing unnamed sources in the country’s military and political leadership.
According to the sources, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is preparing requests to dismiss Medical Forces Commander Tetiana Ostashchenko, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander of the Tavria Group, and Joint Forces Commander Serhii Naiev.
The reasons for the possible dismissal of Tarnavskyi, who commands troops on the southern front line, and Naiev are unknown, Ukrainska Pravda wrote.
Hours after Ukrainska Pravda published the report, the Defense Ministry issued a “response to all media inquiries” saying that “information published by a number of outlets is not true.” The ministry didn’t specify to which reports it was reacting to.
“The Defense Ministry does not comment on rumors or unverified information. Everyone works as usual, and decisions are discussed in coordination with the General Staff.
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.
Francis Farrell
