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.
Erdogan told Macron that international cooperation is critical for initiating peace negotiations and the "sensitive implementation" of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction processes, the Turkish Presidency reported.
Ksenia Karelina, a dual US-Russian citizen, attends a court hearing in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on June 20, 2024. Karelina plead guilty to treason charges on Aug. 7, her lawyer told Russian state media. (Sverdlovsk Regional Court/Reuters)
Ksenia Karelina, a U.S.-Russian dual national accused of treason for allegedly raising money for the Ukrainian military, plead guilty to treason, Russian state-run news agency TASS claimed on Aug. 7.
Karelina’s lawyer Mikhail Mushailov told TASS that his client admitted to the charge.
Karelina, a 33-year-old resident of Los Angeles, was arrested in Russia earlier this year while visiting her grandparents. Authorities charged her with treason on the grounds that she donated $51.80 to the nonprofit organization Razom for Ukraine.
Karelina was not included in a major prisoner exchange that occurred on Aug. 1, which included 10 prisoners transferred to Russia, 13 prisoners transported to Germany, and three handed over to the United States. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza were all released as part of the swap.
Karelina's trial began June 20 in the Sverdlovsk regional court and was held behind closed doors. The next hearing date is scheduled for Aug. 8, according to TASS.
Razom for Ukraine said on Feb. 20 that it was "appalled by reports that a U.S.-Russian dual national has been arrested by Russian authorities for purportedly making a charitable donation" to the organization.
Karelina will face up to 12 years in prison during sentencing.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Martin Fornusek
