"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.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal delivers a speech to Ukraine's parliament on Oct. 6, 2023. (Andrii Nesterenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
For the first time in history, Ukraine is going through winter using exclusively its own gas production, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on air on Jan. 31.
"We currently have about 10 billion cubic meters of gas in our storage facilities. And we are going through this winter using exclusively Ukrainian-produced gas," Shmyhal said.
Despite a series of massive Russian strikes against Ukraine over the past weeks, Shmyhal previously said that the Ukrainian energy infrastructure remains stable.
According to the prime minister, Ukraine's energy giant Naftogaz and its gas producer UkrGasVydobuvannya had increased production by 11% and opened new gas wells.
"In general, I am convinced that thanks to our Armed Forces, air defenses, and heroic energy workers, we will stably go through this winter," Shmyhal added.
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Ukraine Business Roundup
Before the winter, Ukrainian officials warned that Russia is likely to massively target Ukraine's energy infrastructure once the temperatures drop, mirroring its strategy from the previous winter.
December 2023 and this January indeed brought yet another wave of massive strikes, but the resulting energy disruptions have not reached the scale of those in late 2022 and early 2023.
Vadym Skibitskyi, a representative of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), said on Jan. 15 that Russia's current winter campaign of missile strikes is predominantly targeting Ukraine's military-industrial complex, marking a change from the previous winter's attacks on energy infrastructure.
Despite the apparent shift in strategy, Russian attacks still regularly damage or destroy equipment and facilities associated with Ukraine's energy production and transmission.
Dominic Culverwell
