"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.
Russian military personnel arrive to participate in the Victory Day military parade held at Moscow's Red Square on May 9, 2023. (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)
Russia's military drew up units from vital areas across Russia as far as 7,000 km from the front to face Ukraine's counteroffensive, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its latest report on July 6.
The report said that the defense around Bakhmut is mostly composed of elite airborne regiments that are normally stationed in western Russia as a rapid reaction force in case of tensions with NATO.
The intelligence noted that the 58th Combined Arms Army, which is otherwise tasked with securing the Caucasus region, is now defending positions in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The 5th Combined Arms Army and Naval Infantry that are holding the front around Velyka Novosilka in Donetsk Oblast are routinely based 7,000 km away near the Chinese border to balance out Beijing's military power in the area, the report added.
In February, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told BBC that 97% of the entire Russian army is deployed in Ukraine. On July 5, British Admiral Tony Radakin said that Russia lost half of its combat effectiveness in the invasion.
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.
Asami Terajima
