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.
Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), during a news conference on the opening day of the annual NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11, 2023. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
NATO released a statement condemning Russian "hybrid actions" after multiple individuals were accused of working on behalf of Russia from within NATO territory.
Over the last few months, local authorities in Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechia, and the United Kingdom have investigated or arrested numerous individuals accused of working on behalf of Russia. Some of the activities these individuals have been accused of include espionage, military sabotage, and even offering to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"These incidents are part of an intensifying campaign of activities which Russia continues to carry out across the Euro-Atlantic area, including on Alliance territory and through proxies," the statement reads. "This includes sabotage, acts of violence, cyber and electronic interference, disinformation campaigns, and other hybrid operations. NATO Allies express their deep concern over Russia's hybrid actions, which constitute a threat to Allied security."
The uptick in arrests and deportations raises questions about the extent of Russia's influence inside Europe. In addition to mass cyberattacks reported across the region, Russian intelligence actively deploys agents and operatives across Europe.
NATO promised to strengthen its response to Russian hybrid actions. Earlier this week, NATO convened its largest cyber defense exercise, Locked Shields, to better prepare NATO allies against Russian cyber attacks. Representatives from Ukraine also participated in the exercises.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said on March 19 that Russia may attack NATO as early as 2026 or 2027. That assessment falls in line with comments made by Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, who estimated on Feb. 9 that Russia may attack NATO within three to five years.
Around the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron called Russia's invasion of Ukraine "existential" for France and the rest of Europe. Later, Macron said he would not rule out the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine.
Although the Chair of the NATO Military Committee later stated that there are currently no signs that Russia is planning an attack on NATO countries, he did warn that the alliance must be prepared for future escalation.
Nate Ostiller
