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.
A Ukrainian worker examines damage after a Russian missile struck the historic Transfiguration Cathedral on July 23, 2023 in central Odesa, Ukraine. (Photo by Scott Peterson/Getty Images)
Ukraine is considering a response to Russian strikes against grain infrastructure and cultural heritage sites, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 24 after the meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff.
The military and security leadership further discussed ways to unblock the Black Sea grain corridor and the planning of defensive and offensive operations, the president added.
Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative on July 17, effectively terminating the deal that allowed Ukraine to export its agricultural products amid the ongoing full-scale invasion.
Ukraine is one of the world's leading grain producers and exporters. The agreement, brokered by Turkey and the U.N. in July 2022, has played a crucial role in stabilizing food prices worldwide.
After the termination of the deal, both Ukraine and Russia declared that vessels sailing to the ports of their opponent will be treated as carriers of military cargo.
According to the U.K. Defense Ministry's intelligence report, the Russian blockade will likely be at risk of Ukrainian surface drones and cruise missiles.
Russian forces launched sustained drone and missile attacks against the port city of Odesa shortly after the deal's collapse, targeting agricultural infrastructure and stockpiles.
The strikes also hit Odesa's historical center, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site earlier this year. Dozens of historical buildings, including the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Moscow Patriarchate's Ukrainian branch, have been damaged in the attacks.
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.
Abbey Fenbert
