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.
Russian soldiers take part in a parade for Victory Day in Moscow's Red Square on May 9, 2023. (Photo by Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu pledged to finish forming military reserves as part of a separate army by the end of June and complete an army corps "in the nearest future," as cited by Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti.
Russian reserve troops will receive more than 3,700 pieces of equipment, Shoigu claimed during Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's meeting with the Security Council on June 22.
On top of that, Russia is forming five tank regiments, which "have already been staffed by more than 60 percent," according to Shoigu.
The minister also alleged that 114,000 contract soldiers and another 52,000 volunteers had been recruited into the Russian army.
According to the U.K. Defense Ministry June 12 intelligence update, Shoigu has recently "maintained a high public profile, likely to present himself as in control of strategic issues" amid Ukraine's accelerating counteroffensive.
On June 13, the Institute for the Study of War said that Shoigu and the Russian military command were trying to regain favor with Putin following successful defensive operations in southern Ukraine.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
