"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.
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.
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.
"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."
Russian military personnel arrive to participate in the Victory Day parade held at Moscow's Red Square on May 9, 2023. (Photo credit: KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)
Russia plans to recruit 420,000 military contract personnel by the end of the year, likely exacerbating the country's labor shortage, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its intelligence report on Sept. 11.
Citing the Yegor Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, the analysis pointed out that Russia's industry shortage of workers already reached a new record of 42% in July 2023, a 7% increase compared to April.
The process does not affect all industries equally. The Russian I.T. industry has reportedly "taken steps to preserve the workforce," as it is already suffering acute shortages. The sector lost 10% of employees – around 100,000 people – who left Russia in 2022.
The Kremlin has acknowledged the crucial role of the I.T. sector. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Sept. 4 to increase the military service exemption age for I.T. professionals from 27 to 30.
The U.K. Defense Ministry estimated that Moscow will likely seek to avoid further unpopular mobilizations in the run-up to the presidential elections in 2024.
The Russian military is continuing efforts to refill its ranks following high casualty rates during the invasion of Ukraine. Moscow launched mobilization in the fall of last year, targeting mainly migrant workers and citizens from more remote regions to avoid antagonizing wealthier segments of the population in major cities.
Moscow also drafts military personnel from occupied parts of Ukraine. According to military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Cherniak, Russia has forcibly mobilized from 55,000 to 60,000 men in the occupied territories of Ukraine between the start of the full-scale invasion and July 2023.
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
