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.
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.
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.
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.
A welcome sign of Russia's Kursk Oblast in an undated photo. (Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images)
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated
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.
Ukraine regularly strikes military targets within Russia as Moscow continues to wage its war against Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on April 30 that Ukrainian soldiers remain in Kursk Oblast.
"According to preliminary information, three people were injured. All were taken to the Rylsk Central Regional Hospital," Khinshtein said.
A hotel entrance was damaged as a result of the impact from a missile, the local governor claimed.
"The blast wave also damaged two cars and two private homes: windows were knocked out, the roof and garage were damaged. Three more cars were cut by shrapnel," Khinshtein said.
Ukraine has not officially commented on the reported strikes, and the Kyiv Independent could not independently verify claims made by Russian officials.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will travel to Istanbul for peace talks on May 15 in response to Putin rejecting a ceasefire proposal and instead suggesting peace talks between Ukraine and Russia should continue.
Ukraine has insisted on a full 30-day unconditional ceasefire before peace talks begin.
"We expect a ceasefire from tomorrow — this proposal is on the table. A complete and unconditional ceasefire — long-term, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy — could bring peace much closer," Zelensky said.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
