"Russia is ready for negotiations without any preconditions," Putin claimed in an address marking the end of the three-day Victory Day ceasefire. He invited Ukraine to begin talks in Istanbul on May 15.
Both men face charges related to terrorism and espionage. Daniil B. was detained in Lithuania, where he is in temporary custody, while Oleksandr V. remains at large in Russia.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine and its allies discussed tougher sanctions against Russia's banking sector, central bank, and energy industry.
The EU plans to unveil on May 14 its next package of sanctions imposed against Russia over its aggression against Ukraine, an EU official told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity.
Polish truckers plan to restrict freight traffic at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint on the Ukrainian border, Ukraine's State Border Guard said on May 12.
"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.
Illustrative photo: A photo of Luhansk Oblast taken in Lysychansk shared by the region's governor on July 3, 2022. (Serhiy Haidai/Telegram)
A senior Russian-installed official in occupied Luhansk Oblast was killed in an alleged attack against occupied Lysychansk on Feb. 3, said Leonid Pasechnik, the head of Russian occupation authorities in Luhansk Oblast, on Feb. 5.
The attack allegedly killed Alexey Poteleshchenko, the Russian-installed head of the emergency situations department of occupation authorities in Luhansk Oblast. Russian proxy forces in Luhansk Oblast blamed Ukraine and claimed that the attack on a local bakery killed 28 people.
Kyiv did not comment on the supposed attack.
Suspilne Donbas wrote, citing a source in the exiled Lysychansk military administration, that the bakery opened only after the start of the occupation. It was allegedly used to prepare food for Russian proxy forces and hosted regular meetings for Russian occupants, Suspilne Donbas wrote.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the reports of the attack or information about casualties.
Lysychansk was captured by Russian forces in July 2022 as the last Ukrainian holdout in Luhansk Oblast at the time. It is currently located around 10 kilometers behind the front line. Ukraine presently holds several settlements on the western edge of the oblast.
While the city's population before February 2022 amounted to around 90,000 residents, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Verseshchuk estimated that by July 2022, the vast majority of residents had evacuated, and the population had dropped to below 12,000.
Exiled Mayor Valerii Shybiko said in July 2023 that all medical facilities in the occupied city have been re-purposed as military hospitals for Russian troops and that the city suffers from power shortages and a lack of drinking water.
Alexander Khrebet
