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.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin shake hands in Moscow in March, 2023. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)
China has sent tens of thousands of shipments to Russian weapons firms since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Telegraph reported on Aug. 19.
The Telegraph's investigation found that China has helped supply the Russian military with helicopters, drones, optical sights, and essential raw materials. Trade between Moscow and Beijing is on track to reach a record high this year of over $200 billion.
These trade records contradict China's claims of neutrality and its promises not to provide either Ukrainian or Russian forces with weapons.
China has also sought a role in international peace talks, a position undermined by its ongoing support for Russia.
According to the Telegraph, a Chinese company sent 1,000 drones to Russia in the months leading up to the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The firm described itself as "a wholesaler of children's toys" and shipped the drones to a Russian shell company that also listed itself as a toy seller.
After the invasion began, Chinese companies continued to supply military aid to Russia, including turbojets and missile navigation systems routed through India and Costa Rica.
The goods China exports are officially classified as "dual-use," meaning they have non-military applications. The classification allows China to get by international sanctions and maintain the fiction that it is not providing Russia with lethal aid.
Invoices for shipments of optical sights, which are attached to weapons to provide better vision, said the devices were for "hunting."
NATO and U.S. officials have threatened "severe consequences" should China supply Russia with lethal military aid.
The investigation found trade data from China indicating that Beijing is now "a critical lifeline" for Russia amid crippling economic sanctions.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Maria Yeryoma
