"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.
Moscow and Hanoi agreed to negotiate and sign agreements to construct nuclear power plants in Vietnam, the two countries said in a joint statement on May 11.
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.
The Russian flag flies atop the Russian State Duma, the nation's lower house of parliament, on July 14, 2023. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images)
Russia on July 30 passed a law that will allow businesses to use cryptocurrencies in international trade, as the Kremlin seeks ways to circumvent Western sanctions, Reuters reported on July 30.
Western countries have launched several rounds of sanctions against Russia and individuals associated with President Vladimir Putin since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in hopes of depleting the resources and sources of revenue fuelling the war.
In June, the U.S. and other countries unveiled a new wave of sanctions that targeted Russian financial institutions, as well as entities and individuals based in China and elsewhere that help Moscow circumvent the existing restrictions.
Trade between Russia and China has surged by 121% since 2021, underscoring the Chinese role as Moscow's economic lifeline. A functioning payment system is necessary for maintaining trade relations, and Russia was cut off from the international SWIFT system in 2022.
On July 29, the Russian state-controlled media outlet Kommersant reported that Chinese banks are rejecting and returning about 80% of Russian payments made in Chinese yuan, under pressure from Western nations.
Russian businesses and individuals attempting to make the payments then lose money on commission and conversion fees and are unable to complete the transaction.
Russian companies doing business in China have increasingly had to rely on intermediary services that help facilitate the transfer of money and goods, which can add anywhere from 3-10% of commission-related expenses.
The new law will go into force in September, Reuters reports, but will not affect an existing ban on cryptocurrencies being used for transactions inside Russia.
Russia's Central Bank will create an "experimental" infrastructure for the digital payments though no details have yet been released.
"We are taking a historic decision in the financial sphere," said Russian lawmaker Anatoly Aksakov, head of the parliament's finance committee.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
