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.
Commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi during a visit with front-line troops in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, on June 3, 2023. (Oleksandr Syrskyi / Telegram)
Russian forces are intensifying efforts to push Ukrainian troops out of Kursk Oblast and capture border areas of Sumy Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a Facebook post on April 21.
"Intense fighting continues in Sumy Oblast in areas near the state border, as well as on the territory of the Russian Federation," Syrskyi wrote.
Sumy Oblast, in northeastern Ukraine, borders Russia's Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod oblasts, making it a critical front line in Russia's full-scale war.
Syrskyi said that Ukrainian forces "have once again thwarted the enemy's offensive in this area with their active actions," preventing Russian troops from executing their operational objectives.
The general reported visiting front-line brigades shortly before Easter, meeting with commanders, headquarters officials, and military service chiefs.
He said all necessary decisions had been made to support ongoing operations and replenish military equipment and ammunition.
Syrskyi emphasized that Ukraine's ability to counter Russia's numerical advantage depends on advancing in high-tech warfare.
"Only by staying ahead of the enemy in the use of high-tech weapons, increasing the number and quality of robotic platforms and remotely controlled modules, and introducing artificial intelligence into weapons will Ukraine be able to destroy the Russian forces effectively," he said.
The statement follows warnings that Russia has launched its expected spring offensive. Syrskyi said on April 9 that Moscow's campaign "has actually already begun," with Russian attacks surging across the front line.
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in March that Russia was preparing new assaults on Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts following Moscow's rapid advances in Kursk Oblast.
Ukraine initially captured 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory during a cross-border operation but has since come under intense pressure from a Russian counteroffensive bolstered by North Korean forces.
According to the DeepState monitoring group, as of April 21, Ukrainian forces hold approximately 30 square kilometers (about 323 square feet) of territory in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's push for a ceasefire, Russia rejected a U.S. proposal for a 30-day truce and continues its offensive.
On April 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a one-day Easter truce on the front line, claiming that Russian troops would not engage in combat over the weekend.
According to Zelensky, Russia has violated the truce about 3,000 times.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Kateryna Hodunova
