Polish truckers plan to restrict freight traffic at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint on the Ukrainian border, Ukraine's State Border Guard said on May 12.
"The clock is ticking — we still have twelve hours until the end of this day," German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius reportedly said.
"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.
"There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will wait for Putin on Thursday in Turkey," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
"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.
The number includes 1,170 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
UK sanctions 12 Russian military commanders following mass strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure
The U.K. has sanctioned senior Russian commanders for their role in the military and the invasion of Ukraine, as well as Iranian businessmen and officials involved in the production and supply of drones to Moscow, the U.K. government announced on Dec. 13.
The list includes 12 senior Russian commanders, such as Major General Robert Baranov, “identified by a Bellingcat investigation as the commander of a unit responsible for programming and targeting Russian cruise missiles,” according to the announcement. Cruise missiles, as well as Iranian-supplied drones, are used by Russian forces to strike at energy infrastructure across Ukraine.
The U.K. government didn't provide details about the Iranian individuals sanctioned for their involvement in manufacturing and supplying drones to Russia.
"The U.S. released information showing Iran has become one of Russia’s top military backers, sending hundreds of drones to Russia in violation of its international legal obligations, which have been used to attack Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and kill civilians," the statement reads.
All individuals are subject to U.K. asset freezing and a ban on entry into the U.K.
“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin wants to break Ukraine’s spirit, but he will not succeed. Ukraine will win, and Ukraine will rebuild,” U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in the statement.
Since Oct. 10, Russia has unleashed six mass strikes targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, killing dozens of civilians and causing emergency blackouts. Its most recent nationwide attack on Ukraine occurred on Dec. 5, killing four and hitting energy sites in at least three regions.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin claimed on Dec. 8 that Russia would continue launching mass attacks on the Ukrainian energy grid.
On Dec. 12, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said he was “open-minded” about sending longer-range weapons to Ukraine if Russia continued attacking residential areas and civilian infrastructure.
The U.K. government earlier said that it had sanctioned over 1,200 individuals in Russia, including service members responsible for war crimes and atrocities.

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