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.
Poet and novelist Serhiy Zhadan signs a book at a literary event in the heavily-shelled city of Kherson on Nov. 7, 2023. (Asami Terajima/The Kyiv Independent)
Writer and musician Serhiy Zhadan announced his plan to join the "Charter" brigade of Ukraine's National Guard in a live broadcast on March 25.
Zhadan is a renowned poet and novelist as well as the frontman of Kharkiv-based ska band Zhadan and The Dogs. He is also a political activist and humanitarian volunteer.
Zhadan shared his plans to enlist during a livestream discussion with journalists in the Serebrianka forest.
"It seems to me that today there are no writers or non-writers, musicians or non-musicians — there are citizens of Ukraine who feel responsible for their country," he said.
"The army, in principle, equalizes everyone."
Zhadan previously worked as a volunteer, helping to transfer aid to the Ukrainian military. He also actively participated in and supported Ukraine's Orange and EuroMaidan revolutions.
Winner of the 2022 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, since 2014 Zhadan has written many novels, poems, and essays reflecting on themes surrounding the war.
Zhadan's announcement comes as the government hopes to ramp up mobilization in 2024, aiming to recruit 450,000-500,000 new conscripts.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Alexander Query
