"If the Russians are using this level of specialists in urban combat, they are probably facing some difficulties," Ivan Petrychak, spokesperson for the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade, said.
Previously, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused the Russian intelligence services of orchestrating a May 2024 arson attack on the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw.
"Perhaps in some areas, the intensity decreased slightly to create an image of compliance with their own announcement. But in reality, (Russia) continued attacks every day, using all available weapons — including aircraft to drop guided bombs on Ukraine," Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service, said.
Beijing supports all efforts toward achieving peace in Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on May 12 when asked about Kyiv and Europe's proposal for a 30-day truce.
"I invited His Holiness to make an apostolic visit to Ukraine. Such a visit would bring real hope to all believers and to all our people," Zelensky said.
Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak voiced doubt about leading negotiations with anyone from Russia except President Vladimir Putin, implying only the Russian leader can make real decisions.
This includes at least seven people injured in drone attacks overnight on May 12, a date from which Kyiv and its allies put forward a demand for a 30-day unconditional truce, a step that Moscow continues to reject.
"When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs," the Elysee Palace reacted to a fake story pushed by Russia.
The comments came after Trump urged Ukraine to agree to direct negotiations with Russia, which has invited Kyiv to peace talks in Istanbul on May 15, without first agreeing to halt military operations.
A Russian drone hit a civilian freight train in Donetsk Oblast on May 12 and injured its driver, Ukrainian Railways said amid Kyiv's calls for a ceasefire.
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.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko during a meeting in Moscow, Russia on May 10, 2025. (Sergey Bobylev / RIA Novosti/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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 development of the plants with advanced technology will strictly be compliant with nuclear and radiation safety regulations and for the benefit of socio-economic development," they said in the statement, Reuters reported.
Vietnam and Russia have long had close relations, dating back to the Soviet Union's support for North Vietnam and its proxy forces during the Vietnam War. Hanoi has so far maintained a neutral stance regarding Russia's war against Ukraine.
The agreement comes as Vietnam's Communist Party's General Secretary To Lam visited Moscow for Russian President Vladimir Putin's Victory Day celebrations.
As Vietnam aims to support its fast-growing economy, the country is committed to increasing its power generation capacity through the use of nuclear energy. Seeking to diversify its economic partnerships, Hanoi previously said that it look for various foreign partners to build the power plants, including the United States, France, South Korea, and Japan, Reuters reported.
The country previously said it aims to deliver nuclear power generation with its first plant opening between 2030 and 2035.
The joint statement between the Kremlin and Hanoi also noted that Russia will expand crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to Vietnam, while Vietnamese oil companies will have a larger presence in Russia in the coming years.
Amid its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has sought to find new trading partners willing to accept Russian oil and LNG exports, as Western allies continue to cripple Russia's economy through economic sanctions.
Putin previously visited Hanoi in June 2024 when the two countries agreed to deepen their strategic partnership and signed over 10 documents, including a memorandum on the schedule for establishing a nuclear technology center in Vietnam.
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.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
