Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine and its allies discussed tougher sanctions against Russia's banking sector, central bank, and energy industry.
The EU plans to unveil on May 14 its next package of sanctions imposed against Russia over its aggression against Ukraine, an EU official told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity.
Polish truckers plan to restrict freight traffic at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint on the Ukrainian border, Ukraine's State Border Guard said on May 12.
"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 Il-20 reconnaissance plane seen from a cockpit of a German fighter jet over the Baltic Sea. Photo published on Oct. 16, 2024. (German Air Force/X)
Russian military behavior in the Baltic Sea region is "increasing the threat of accidental military incidents," Latvia’s Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIDD) has said in a new report.
The annual report, cited by Latvian media on May 6, said Russia is using aggressive tactics such as unauthorized airspace incursions and close encounters with NATO ships and aircraft.
"The purpose of the provocations is most likely to intimidate and test the potential opponent, while attempts to discredit the reactions and defense capabilities of the countries of the region are not excluded," it said.
These actions, MIDD says, are "increasing the threat of accidental military incidents."
Russia's Baltic Sea Fleet has its headquarters and main base in Kaliningrad Oblast which has access to the Baltic Sea. The headquarters of the Russian Admiralty is based in St. Petersburg, also located on the Baltic Sea.
A map of the Baltic Sea Region. (Lisa Kukharska/The Kyiv Independent)
Russia has restructured its military presence along its Baltic flank. The former Western Military District, which bordered Latvia, has been split into the newly formed Leningrad and Moscow Military Districts. This was officially presented as a response to Finland and Sweden joining NATO, according to MIDD.
Despite ongoing reforms, including the formation of a new army corps and the reorganization of old ones in Karelia and Kaliningrad, MIDD said that these changes have not yet resulted in a significant boost in Russia’s combat power near Latvia. Most of Russia’s military resources remain involved in the war in Ukraine.
MIDD highlighted a sharp reduction in large-scale exercises due to equipment and manpower shortages. Nevertheless, Russia and Belarus are planning to hold the Zapad 2025 (West 2025) joint military exercises later this year, as part of a long-standing series of drills held every two years since 2009.
The most recent iteration, Zapad-2021, involved over 200,000 participants and served as a prelude to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia is committed to a long-term militarization strategy, according to the report, and Moscow plans to expand its armed forces from one to 1.5 million personnel, with much of the focus on its western flank.
While such goals may take years, or even a decade, to fully realize, Latvia should expect a gradual increase in troop presence near its borders after the intensity of hostilities in Ukraine decreases, it said.
The report also stresses that Russia's wartime economy is likely to remain in place. The shift away from peacetime economic priorities reinforces a sustained need for external confrontation and military expansion, making Moscow’s aggressive foreign policy not just a strategic choice but a domestic necessity, the MIDD added.
Chris York
