"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.
General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces, visited military units in the Kupiansk sector on Feb. 3, 2024. (Ukrainian Ground Forces/Facebook)
General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces, visited military units in the Kupiansk sector facing heavy onslaught of Russian forces, the Ground Forces' press service said on social media on Feb. 3.
In the past weeks, Kyiv has been warning that Russia is intensifying attacks around Kupiansk, aiming to encircle and capture this key logistics hub in Kharkiv Oblast. The northeastern city was temporarily occupied by Russian forces in 2022.
"The operational situation remains tense... The enemy continues to conduct high-intensity assault operations and is constantly bringing in new supplies," the report said.
Syrskyi listened to reports of local commanders and discussed possible scenarios of Russian actions, taking into consideration gathered intelligence.
In order to solve critical defense tasks, a "redistribution of forces and resources was carried out," the Ground Forces' press service said.
The U.S.-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in early January that Russia may soon scale up localized offensive operations with the aim of capturing Kupiansk.
According to Ukrainian commanders, Russia is particularly focusing its efforts on the nearby village of Synkivka.
On Jan. 21, Moscow claimed the capture of Krokhmalne, a village around 25 kilometers southeast of Kupiansk. Kyiv later confirmed a withdrawal from Krokhmalne but said the loss of this abandoned village has no strategic importance.
Russian sources also alleged the capture of Tabaivka, but the Ukrainian military refuted this claim.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Igor Kossov
