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.
UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, on Oct. 11, 2017. (Chesnot/Getty Images)
Ukraine was among the nine countries elected to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee during the Nov. 22 vote for the first time in history.
The country submitted its candidacy in July last year. Ukraine is joining the other 20 members and will hold the seat on the Committee for the period 2023-2027.
"This is a historic event for Ukraine and an important step in the development and protection of the cultural and natural heritage of Ukraine," acting Culture Minister Rostyslav Karandieiev said.
A place on the Committee opens up new opportunities for Ukraine's active participation in implementing the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the Ukrainian Culture Ministry said.
In particular, it presents a chance to include new sites on the World Heritage List and the World Heritage in Danger.
Russia's war against Ukraine inflicted substantial damage to the country's cultural heritage, such as Odesa's historical city center. As of Nov. 15, 329 cultural sites have been damaged by Russian attacks on Ukraine, UNESCO said.
The Convention, ratified by Ukraine in 1988, promotes the effective protection and preservation of the world's cultural and natural heritage.
"We thank the countries participating in the Convention for their expressed solidarity in support of Ukraine. Now more than ever, it is important to unite and protect our cultural heritage," Karandieiev commented.
UNESCO saw another "historic" election result last week, when, for the first time, Russia failed to win a seat on the UNESCO Executive Board.
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.
Anna Husarska
