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."
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.
A ship moored in the Black Sea port of Odesa within the framework of the grain corridor, on Feb. 20, 2023, southern Ukraine. (Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
The Russian military targeted a civilian cargo ship in Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa on Aug. 24, the U.K. Foreign Office said, citing newly obtained intelligence.
Ukraine’s air defenses shot down all Russian missiles heading towards the port, which included two Kalibr missiles launched from a Black Sea Fleet carrier, according to the report.
The intelligence reportedly shows that Russia’s intended target was a Liberian-flagged ship docked in the port.
“Despite its failure, this is a clear demonstration of Russia’s continuing attempts to choke Ukraine’s economy and President Putin’s disregard for the lives of civilians and the interests of countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East,” London added.
Since the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in mid-July, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's agricultural infrastructure, ports, and grain stockpiles.
According to the U.K. Foreign Office, the attacks have already destroyed 280,000 tonnes of grain — more than the total amount Russia promised to donate to African countries and enough to feed over one million people for a year.
"Putin is trying to win a war he will not win, and these attacks show just how desperate he is,” U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said. “In targeting cargo ships and Ukrainian infrastructure, Russia is hurting the rest of the world.”
The grain deal, brokered by Turkey and the U.N. in July 2022, previously allowed Ukraine to export its agricultural products worldwide amid the ongoing Russian full-scale invasion.
Abbey Fenbert
