Moscow has claimed it has successfully tested a new nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile, which it says could come into use later this year.
Sergei Karakayev, the commander of the strategic missile forces, told Russian president Vladimir Putin a the successful test of the Sarmat strategic nuclear missile had been carried out on Tuesday.
Putin said that Russia planned to put the Sarmat into combat duty by the end of 2026.
It comes despite ongoing efforts towards peace, with the US reportedly pushing for a temporary ceasefire which would provide sanctions relief to Moscow as it looks to revive a flagging peace process.
"They want Ukraine to agree to as much as possible, or at the very least not to stand in the way," a source familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent.
The move comes after a three-day ceasefire over the weekend expired, after it was announced by Donald Trump last week.
Russia's Defence Ministry said the ceasefire was complete and that its forces had resumed combat operations, Russian news agencies reported. It added that Russian air defence systems had shot down 108 drones in the past 24 hours.
Zelensky’s ex-chief of staff named in major corruption probe that shocked Ukraine
The ex-German chancellor and Putin’s ‘buddy’ who Russia want to mediate Ukraine peace talks
Russia and Ukraine trade blame for continued fighting as US-brokered ceasefire nears its end
UK faces biggest fall in consumer confidence since start of Ukraine war, research suggests
Key Points
- Russia tests new nuclear ballistic missile and claims it could enter combat this year
- US pushing to provide sanctions relief to Moscow - report
- Russia has no intention of ending the war - Zelensky
- Zelensky's ex-chief of staff named as suspect in major corruption probe
- In photos: Russia attacks kindergarten in overnight attack on Kyiv
Follow latest updates on Russia-Ukraine war
04:29 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine war latest: After Putin, Trump says end of conflict getting ‘very close’
Briefing: What we know on the 1,538th day of Ukraine war
Tuesday 12 May 2026 04:29 , Arpan Rai- Ukraine’s foreign minister says Europe can help the war-hit nation achieve a ceasefire with Russia – starting with halting attacks on each other’s airports first
- Monday sees resumption of attacks along Russia-Ukraine war frontline, Zelensky confirms
- Ukrainian president says Russia has ‘no intention’ of ending the war in Ukraine, leaving Kyiv to prepare for new attacks
- EU’s foreign policy chief rejects Putin’s suggestion that former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder could represent Europe in future talks with Moscow on European security arrangements
Russia has no intention of ending the war - Zelensky
Tuesday 12 May 2026 04:30 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Russia has no intention of ending the more than four-year-old war with his country and Kyiv was preparing for further attacks.
Zelensky made his comments as a US-mediated ceasefire linked to Russia's 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany drew to a close, with each side accusing the other of violating it.
He also spoke two days after Russian president Vladimir Putin suggested the conflict was coming to an end.
"Today there was no silence on the front line. Combat actions have continued," Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
Zelensky's ex-chief of staff named as suspect in major corruption probe
Tuesday 12 May 2026 04:34 , Arpan RaiUkrainian authorities yesterday named Volodymyr Zelensky's powerful former chief of staff as a suspect in a major corruption probe, a move likely to pile pressure on the president's office at a sensitive moment in the war with Russia.
Kyiv's political class was rocked by a wide-ranging investigation last year that had fueled public anger and prompted the ex-top adviser and Zelensky's right-hand man, Andriy Yermak, to resign.
In a statement, Ukraine's anti-graft agencies said Yermak is suspected of participating in a criminal group that laundered around $10.5 million through an elite housing development outside the capital Kyiv.
The agencies did not name Yermak, in line with Ukrainian law, but he was widely identified by local media. Speaking to Ukrainian outlet Radio Liberty, he denied owning real estate in the development but did not comment further.
The case is part of a broader probe into high-level graft first unveiled last November, when a former Zelensky business partner was accused of running a $100 million kickback scheme at the state atomic agency.
Germany divided after Putin floats Schroder as Ukraine mediator
Tuesday 12 May 2026 04:43 , Arpan RaiVladimir Putin recently suggested that former German chancellor Gerhard Schroder could help negotiate peace in Ukraine, saying he believes the war may be “coming to an end”.
The idea divided opinion in Germany. Former lawmaker Michael Roth said a mediator “cannot be Putin’s buddy” and stressed that Ukraine should decide who can take part in peace talks.
“Neither Moscow nor we can decide that on Kyiv’s behalf,” he said in an interview with Tagesspiegel.
But some members of Germany’s Social Democratic Party said the proposal should still be “carefully considered” with European partners.
Schroder has stayed close to Russian president Putin even after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. He also worked on major Russian energy projects, including the Nord Stream gas pipelines and the Russian oil company Rosneft.
EU imposes sanctions on Russia individuals and entities
Tuesday 12 May 2026 05:10 , Arpan RaiThe European Union has imposed sanctions on 16 individuals and seven entities in Russia for systematic unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children, the EU Council said in a statement on Monday.
* Russia is estimated to have deported and forcibly transferred nearly 20,500 Ukrainian children since the war began, the EU Council said.
* These actions constitute grave breaches of international law and violate children's fundamental rights, aiming to erase Ukrainian identity and undermine future generations, it added.
* Entities listed today include federal institutions linked to Russia's Ministry of Education, the EU Council said.
* The listings also name officials and politicians from Russia‑occupied territories, along with leaders of youth camps and military‑patriotic organisations.
* Those listed are subject to asset freezes, while EU citizens and companies are barred from providing them with funds or economic resources, and individuals face an EU travel ban, the Council said.
EU targets Russians with sanctions over alleged abduction of Ukrainian children
Tuesday 12 May 2026 05:17 , Arpan RaiThe European Union has imposed sanctions on 16 officials accused of helping Russia to abduct tens of thousands of children from Ukraine and force many to change their identities or be put up for adoption.
Sanctions were also slapped on seven centres suspected of indoctrinating the children or training them to serve in the armed forces, either for Russia or pro-Russian militias inside Ukraine.
Over 130 people and “entities” are now under EU travel bans and asset freezes over the abductions.
EU headquarters said the measures target “those responsible for the systematic unlawful deportation, forced transfer, forced assimilation, including indoctrination and militarized education, of Ukrainian minors, as well as their unlawful adoption and removal to the Russian Federation and within temporarily occupied territories.”
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, about 20,500 children have been unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred to Russia or Russian-held territories in eastern Ukraine.
EU officials say many of the children are stripped of their Ukrainian identity and culture, given Russian passports and put up for adoption. Some are forced into schools for indoctrination or into military camps.
“Russia is trying to erase their identity,” Latvian foreign minister Baiba Braže said yesterday at a meeting with EU counterparts in Brussels, where the sanctions were endorsed.
“When you look at the Genocide Convention, it’s one of the features of the genocide crime. So, it’s very serious.”
Ukraine reports 180 battlefield clashes as fighting kills three
Tuesday 12 May 2026 05:39 , Arpan RaiThe General Staff of Ukraine's military, in a Monday morning report, said 180 battlefield clashes had been recorded along the front line over the previous 24 hours.
The General Staff said on Monday afternoon that Russian troops had carried out 38 new assaults on Ukrainian positions, adding: "Artillery shelling of border areas continues."
Regional governors in Ukraine reported on Monday that at least three people had been killed in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia and southern Kherson regions over the past 24 hours.
Watch: Zelensky says Russia has ‘no intention’ of ending war
Tuesday 12 May 2026 05:50 , Arpan RaiEurope rejects Putin’s pick for peace mediator: 'Not very wise'
Tuesday 12 May 2026 06:00 , Arpan RaiThe EU’s foreign policy chief on Monday rejected Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder could represent Europe in future talks with Moscow on European security arrangements.
Putin told reporters on Saturday that he believed the war was “coming to an end”, and said he would be open to negotiating new security terms with Europe, ideally via Schröder as a mediator.
But Kaja Kallas dismissed the offer this morning as she arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
“If we give the right to Russia to appoint a negotiator on our behalf, you know, that would not be very wise,” she said, adding that as Schroder had lobbied for Russian state companies, “he would be sitting on both sides of the table”.
After leaving office in 2005, Schroeder almost immediately took a job as chairman of a controversial German-Russian gas pipeline consortium and has faced heavy criticism in Germany for his closeness to Putin.
European Council President Antonio Costa said last week he believed there was "potential" for the EU to negotiate with Russia, and to discuss the future of the security architecture of Europe.
Ukraine suggests 'ceasefire' for airports with Russia
Tuesday 12 May 2026 06:14 , Arpan RaiUkraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Europe can help the war-hit nation achieve a ceasefire with Russia – starting with each other’s airports first.
“We probably need a new role of Europe in our peace efforts. Maybe we would try to resolve or to achieve a so-called airport ceasefire,” Sybiha told Politico yesterday in Brussels.
Sybiha, a close-aide of Volodymyr Zelensky said the proposal seeks a limited Moscow-Kyiv agreement not to strike airports which helps Putin as well.
The Russian leader, he said, may have an incentive to engage with such a deal which helps him protect major Russian hubs like Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport and St Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport.
"Maybe our European allies, by establishing a platform, or maybe an ad hoc group, we could discuss [the airport ceasefire]," he said.
Sybiha said Zelensky has already discussed the idea with some European leaders.
UK sanctions dozens over 'Russian campaign to deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children'
Tuesday 12 May 2026 06:35 , Arpan RaiThe UK has sanctioned dozens of people and entities allegedly involved in the forced deportation, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children.
New measures target 29 people linked to a Russian campaign to forcibly deport and militarise children, and a further 56 linked to information warfare.
More than 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly transferred or deported to Russia and within the occupied territories of Ukraine.
Among those forcibly deported, an estimated 6,000 children have reportedly been taken to re‑education camps and subjected to propaganda designed to erase Ukrainian identity.
As part of their response, the UK unveiled an additional £1.2m in funding to help identify and return Ukrainian children to their homes and communities.
Zelensky holds call with UAE counterpart
Tuesday 12 May 2026 06:38 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky on Monday discussed with president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan the UAE's assistance in bringing Ukrainians back from Russian captivity and the war in Iran.
Since the start of the war, Ukraine has offered its expertise in countering drones to the UAE and a handful of other Middle Eastern countries. Kyiv and the UAE have also struck a 10-year defence cooperation deal.
"I was glad to hear that Ukrainian expertise is truly helping to build reliable protection for lives. We discussed continuing this work," Zelensky said on X.
"I am grateful to the UAE that our agreements are being implemented on the basis of reciprocity and that Ukraine is also receiving the support it needs, including in the energy sector," Zelensky added.
Russia has no intention of ending the war - Zelensky
Tuesday 12 May 2026 07:13 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Russia has no intention of ending the more than four-year-old war with his country and Kyiv was preparing for further attacks.
Zelensky made his comments as a US-mediated ceasefire linked to Russia's 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany drew to a close, with each side accusing the other of violating it.
He also spoke two days after Russian president Vladimir Putin suggested the conflict was coming to an end.
"Today there was no silence on the front line. Combat actions have continued," Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
India declines Russian LNG under sanctions as talks continue on permitted cargoes, sources say
Tuesday 12 May 2026 07:31 , Arpan RaiIndia has declined Russia’s offer to sell it liquefied natural gas subject to US sanctions despite a shortfall driven by Middle East tensions, said two sources with direct knowledge of the matter, leaving a tanker bound for India in limbo as talks continue on permitted cargoes.
India's reluctance has left an LNG cargo from Russia's US-sanctioned Portovaya plant in the Baltic Sea unable to discharge, despite indicating India as its destination in mid-April, one of the sources said.
The vessel was tracked despite documentation suggesting the cargo was non-Russian, the source added.
The stance highlights the fine balance the world’s third-biggest oil importer and consumer is seeking to strike between securing energy supplies and avoiding LNG cargoes on which the US has placed sanctions, which are harder to disguise and carry greater compliance risk.
While crude oil cargoes can be hidden through ship-to-ship transfers at sea, LNG shipments are far harder to conceal from satellite tracking, one of the sources said.
India is open to buying authorised Russian LNG, but most of those volumes are committed to Europe, the source said.
The source said China remains a major buyer of both sanctioned and unsanctioned Russian LNG. Moscow is also seeking long-term deals to supply India with LNG and fertilisers such as potash, phosphorus and urea, the source added.
Zelensky's ex-chief of staff named as suspect in major corruption probe
Tuesday 12 May 2026 07:50 , Arpan RaiUkrainian authorities yesterday named Volodymyr Zelensky's powerful former chief of staff as a suspect in a major corruption probe, a move likely to pile pressure on the president's office at a sensitive moment in the war with Russia.
Kyiv's political class was rocked by a wide-ranging investigation last year that had fueled public anger and prompted the ex-top adviser and Zelensky's right-hand man, Andriy Yermak, to resign.
In a statement, Ukraine's anti-graft agencies said Yermak is suspected of participating in a criminal group that laundered around $10.5 million through an elite housing development outside the capital Kyiv.
The agencies did not name Yermak, in line with Ukrainian law, but he was widely identified by local media. Speaking to Ukrainian outlet Radio Liberty, he denied owning real estate in the development but did not comment further.
The case is part of a broader probe into high-level graft first unveiled last November, when a former Zelensky business partner was accused of running a $100 million kickback scheme at the state atomic agency.
Germany divided after Putin floats Schroder as Ukraine mediator
Tuesday 12 May 2026 08:15 , Arpan RaiVladimir Putin recently suggested that former German chancellor Gerhard Schroder could help negotiate peace in Ukraine, saying he believes the war may be “coming to an end”.
The idea divided opinion in Germany. Former lawmaker Michael Roth said a mediator “cannot be Putin’s buddy” and stressed that Ukraine should decide who can take part in peace talks.
“Neither Moscow nor we can decide that on Kyiv’s behalf,” he said in an interview with Tagesspiegel.
But some members of Germany’s Social Democratic Party said the proposal should still be “carefully considered” with European partners.
Schroder has stayed close to Russian president Putin even after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. He also worked on major Russian energy projects, including the Nord Stream gas pipelines and the Russian oil company Rosneft.
EU imposes sanctions on Russia individuals and entities
Tuesday 12 May 2026 08:35 , Arpan RaiThe European Union has imposed sanctions on 16 individuals and seven entities in Russia for systematic unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children, the EU Council said in a statement on Monday.
* Russia is estimated to have deported and forcibly transferred nearly 20,500 Ukrainian children since the war began, the EU Council said.
* These actions constitute grave breaches of international law and violate children's fundamental rights, aiming to erase Ukrainian identity and undermine future generations, it added.
* Entities listed today include federal institutions linked to Russia's Ministry of Education, the EU Council said.
* The listings also name officials and politicians from Russia‑occupied territories, along with leaders of youth camps and military‑patriotic organisations.
* Those listed are subject to asset freezes, while EU citizens and companies are barred from providing them with funds or economic resources, and individuals face an EU travel ban, the Council said.
Zelensky says Russia launched over 200 drones at Ukraine overnight
Tuesday 12 May 2026 08:46 , Arpan RaiRussia launched more than 200 drones overnight at Ukraine, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.
“Overnight, more than 200 attack drones were launched against Ukraine. Aerial bombs were used again on the front – more than 80 of them, and over 30 air strikes were recorded. Attack drones were shot down in the Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions, as well as in Kyiv and the region,” Zelensky said on X this morning, sharing photos of the areas hit in the overnight strikes.
He added that energy facilities, apartment buildings, and a kindergarten were damaged in the attack.
“...there was also a strike on an ordinary civilian locomotive on the railway... People have been reported injured as a result of these strikes. And, unfortunately, there are fatalities,” he said.
Russia itself chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days. Overnight, more than 200 attack drones were launched against Ukraine. Aerial bombs were used again on the front – more than 80 of them, and over 30 air strikes were recorded. Attack drones were shot… pic.twitter.com/rhTnCWT8rn
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 12, 2026
EU targets Russians with sanctions over alleged abduction of Ukrainian children
Tuesday 12 May 2026 08:55 , Arpan RaiThe European Union has imposed sanctions on 16 officials accused of helping Russia to abduct tens of thousands of children from Ukraine and force many to change their identities or be put up for adoption.
Sanctions were also slapped on seven centres suspected of indoctrinating the children or training them to serve in the armed forces, either for Russia or pro-Russian militias inside Ukraine.
Over 130 people and “entities” are now under EU travel bans and asset freezes over the abductions.
EU headquarters said the measures target “those responsible for the systematic unlawful deportation, forced transfer, forced assimilation, including indoctrination and militarized education, of Ukrainian minors, as well as their unlawful adoption and removal to the Russian Federation and within temporarily occupied territories.”
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, about 20,500 children have been unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred to Russia or Russian-held territories in eastern Ukraine.
EU officials say many of the children are stripped of their Ukrainian identity and culture, given Russian passports and put up for adoption. Some are forced into schools for indoctrination or into military camps.
“Russia is trying to erase their identity,” Latvian foreign minister Baiba Braže said yesterday at a meeting with EU counterparts in Brussels, where the sanctions were endorsed.
“When you look at the Genocide Convention, it’s one of the features of the genocide crime. So, it’s very serious.”
Ukraine reports 180 battlefield clashes as fighting kills three
Tuesday 12 May 2026 09:15 , Arpan RaiThe General Staff of Ukraine's military, in a Monday morning report, said 180 battlefield clashes had been recorded along the front line over the previous 24 hours.
The General Staff said on Monday afternoon that Russian troops had carried out 38 new assaults on Ukrainian positions, adding: "Artillery shelling of border areas continues."
Regional governors in Ukraine reported on Monday that at least three people had been killed in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia and southern Kherson regions over the past 24 hours.
Watch: Zelensky says Russia has ‘no intention’ of ending war
Tuesday 12 May 2026 09:35 , Arpan RaiEurope rejects Putin’s pick for peace mediator: 'Not very wise'
Tuesday 12 May 2026 09:55 , Arpan RaiThe EU’s foreign policy chief on Monday rejected Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder could represent Europe in future talks with Moscow on European security arrangements.
Putin told reporters on Saturday that he believed the war was “coming to an end”, and said he would be open to negotiating new security terms with Europe, ideally via Schröder as a mediator.
But Kaja Kallas dismissed the offer this morning as she arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
“If we give the right to Russia to appoint a negotiator on our behalf, you know, that would not be very wise,” she said, adding that as Schroder had lobbied for Russian state companies, “he would be sitting on both sides of the table”.
After leaving office in 2005, Schroeder almost immediately took a job as chairman of a controversial German-Russian gas pipeline consortium and has faced heavy criticism in Germany for his closeness to Putin.
European Council President Antonio Costa said last week he believed there was "potential" for the EU to negotiate with Russia, and to discuss the future of the security architecture of Europe.
Ukraine suggests 'ceasefire' for airports with Russia
Tuesday 12 May 2026 10:15 , Arpan RaiUkraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Europe can help the war-hit nation achieve a ceasefire with Russia – starting with each other’s airports first.
“We probably need a new role of Europe in our peace efforts. Maybe we would try to resolve or to achieve a so-called airport ceasefire,” Sybiha told Politico yesterday in Brussels.
Sybiha, a close-aide of Volodymyr Zelensky said the proposal seeks a limited Moscow-Kyiv agreement not to strike airports which helps Putin as well.
The Russian leader, he said, may have an incentive to engage with such a deal which helps him protect major Russian hubs like Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport and St Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport.
"Maybe our European allies, by establishing a platform, or maybe an ad hoc group, we could discuss [the airport ceasefire]," he said.
Sybiha said Zelensky has already discussed the idea with some European leaders.
UK sanctions dozens over 'Russian campaign to deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children'
Tuesday 12 May 2026 10:35 , Arpan RaiThe UK has sanctioned dozens of people and entities allegedly involved in the forced deportation, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children.
New measures target 29 people linked to a Russian campaign to forcibly deport and militarise children, and a further 56 linked to information warfare.
More than 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly transferred or deported to Russia and within the occupied territories of Ukraine.
Among those forcibly deported, an estimated 6,000 children have reportedly been taken to re‑education camps and subjected to propaganda designed to erase Ukrainian identity.
As part of their response, the UK unveiled an additional £1.2m in funding to help identify and return Ukrainian children to their homes and communities.
The ex-German chancellor and Putin’s ‘buddy’ who Russia want to mediate Ukraine peace talks
Tuesday 12 May 2026 11:00 , Arpan RaiVladimir Putin hinted over the weekend that he foresaw the war in Ukraine coming to an end soon, while raising the prospect of talks with the EU to draw up new security arrangements for a post-war Europe.
The Russian president told reporters that he would be open to reopening lines of communication with Ukraine and Europe, ideally mediated by former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder.
“For me personally, the former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr Schröder, is preferable,” Putin said, asked on Saturday if he was willing to engage with Europe.
The ex-German chancellor and Putin ally who Russia want to lead Ukraine peace talks
Putin suggests war in Ukraine is ending
Tuesday 12 May 2026 11:30 , Arpan RaiVladimir Putin said after the Victory Day commemorations that he thought the war was coming to an end.
He said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, with Germany's former chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, as his preferred partner.
But European foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels on Monday, rejected Putin's suggestion about Schroeder. They dismissed any role for Schroeder, who has worked for Russian state companies and cultivated a close relationship with Putin.
Russian state news agencies reported yesterday that Russia's defence ministry had said it had recorded 23,802 ceasefire violations by Ukraine since the start of the ceasefire.
Russian troops had responded in kind to Ukrainian attacks, the ministry was quoted as saying.
Zelensky says Russia launched over 200 drones at Ukraine overnight
Tuesday 12 May 2026 12:00 , Arpan RaiRussia launched more than 200 drones overnight at Ukraine, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.
“Overnight, more than 200 attack drones were launched against Ukraine. Aerial bombs were used again on the front – more than 80 of them, and over 30 air strikes were recorded. Attack drones were shot down in the Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions, as well as in Kyiv and the region,” Zelensky said on X this morning, sharing photos of the areas hit in the overnight strikes.
He added that energy facilities, apartment buildings, and a kindergarten were damaged in the attack.
“...there was also a strike on an ordinary civilian locomotive on the railway... People have been reported injured as a result of these strikes. And, unfortunately, there are fatalities,” he said.
Russia itself chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days. Overnight, more than 200 attack drones were launched against Ukraine. Aerial bombs were used again on the front – more than 80 of them, and over 30 air strikes were recorded. Attack drones were shot… pic.twitter.com/rhTnCWT8rn
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 12, 2026
US pushing to provide sanctions relief to Moscow - report
Tuesday 12 May 2026 12:18 , Alex CroftThe US is pushing to provide sanctions relief to Moscow as part of a temporary ceasefire, according to a report.
It comes as the Trump administration looks to revive a flagging peace process.
"They want Ukraine to agree to as much as possible, or at the very least not to stand in the way," a source familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent.
The move comes after Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire between 9-11 May, a move which many saw as intending to ensure Moscow could carry out its Victory Day parade untarnished.
Ceasefire with Ukraine has expired, Moscow says
Tuesday 12 May 2026 12:29 , Alex CroftRussia's Defence Ministry has said that a short ceasefire with Ukraine had expired and that its forces had resumed combat operations, Russian news agencies are reporting.
The ministry was also cited as saying that Russian air defence systems had shot down 108 drones in the past 24 hours.
Zelensky not under investigation amid graft probe
Tuesday 12 May 2026 12:51 , James ReynoldsUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is not currently a target of the ongoing major graft probe, the country’s anti-corruption chief said on Tuesday.
Kremlin says peace process points to end of Ukraine war nearing
Tuesday 12 May 2026 13:01 , Alex CroftWe’re hearing from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov who has given his daily briefing to reporters.
He said on Tuesday that developments in the peace process indicate that the war in Ukraine is nearing completion, commenting on president Vladimir Putin's remarks that the conflict is "coming to an end”.
Moscow welcomes US mediation efforts and reiterated its position that the conflict could be stopped at any moment should Ukraine and president Volodymyr Zelensky choose take the necessary decision, he added.
Belarus athletes cleared to compete under own national flag in Olympic sport amid Ukraine-Russia war
Tuesday 12 May 2026 13:30 , Alex CroftBelarusian athletes will be allowed to represent their country in modern pentathlon competitions from next week, after the sport's governing body, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM), lifted restrictions on their participation on Tuesday.
This move follows last week's decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that paved the way for Belarusian athletes to return to international competition, including qualification events for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The IOC had recommended Russian and Belarusian athletes be banned from competitions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Belarus has been used as a staging ground for the war, which entered its fifth year in February.
Read the full report:
Belarus athletes cleared to compete under own national flag in Olympic sport
Russian government has secured economy, claims Kremlin
Tuesday 12 May 2026 14:01 , Alex CroftWe can bring you more from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
He is speaking on the Russian economy, which has ben struggling under heavy sanctions ever since Vladimir Putin launched his war on Ukraine.
The Russian government has taken the necessary measures to ensure economic stability despite Moscow being forced to slash its economic growth forecast for 2026, Peskov says.
New forecasts by Russia's Economy Ministry lowered estimates for gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2026 to 0.4 per cent from 1.3 per cent and cut estimated growth in 2027 to 1.4 per cent from 2.8 per cent.
Deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday that growth was expected to reach 2.4 per cent in 2029 however.
Peskov said that Vladimir Putin was closely involved in economic issues and that Russia could "talk confidently" of macro-economic stability despite volatility in global markets driven by the conflict in the Middle East.
Watch: Putin claims Russia-Ukraine war is 'coming to an end'
Tuesday 12 May 2026 14:32 , Alex CroftRussia tests new nuclear ballistic missile and claims it could enter combat this year
Tuesday 12 May 2026 15:10 , Alex CroftRussia has successfully tested its new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, Sergei Karakayev, the commander of the strategic missile forces said.
Karakayev was speaking to Russian president Vladimir Putin on Tuesday when he confirmed the test.
Putin said that Russia planned to put the Sarmat on combat duty by the end of this year.
In pictures: Putin discusses successful launch of new ballistic missile
Tuesday 12 May 2026 15:30 , Alex Croft
Analysis | Putin let his desperation show with unexpected claim his war with Ukraine is ending
Tuesday 12 May 2026 16:00 , Alex CroftOur world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Pausing, turning and pointing, like hounds catching a new scent, Europe's leaders are picking up a blood trail from the Kremlin. Vladimir Putin’s forces were once the hunters – now they are bleeding and Ukraine has the whiff victory in its nose.
In the latest sign that Ukraine’s systematic new policy of trying to kill at least 50,000 Russians a month is working, Putin has told his people that the end of the war he started is near.
And, in an act that was both desperate and doomed, he suggested that Gerhard Schröder, the former German chancellor could act as Europe’s envoy in talks.
There is every sign that this was a desperate act from the Russian leader. He has enjoyed the backing of the Trump administration, which has adopted Russia’s side in previous talks and cut all military aid to Kyiv, for over a year. But his forces have stalled and have lost ground in his campaign to take Ukraine.
On the front lines, there has been a steady growth in Ukrainian resolve during the winter. It has moved into outright confidence among many soldiers who have enjoyed a turn in their fortunes due to their dominance in drone warfare and successful long-range attacks deep into Russia.
In photos: Russia attacks kindergarten in overnight attack on Kyiv
Tuesday 12 May 2026 17:00 , Arpan Rai
Rutte 'extremely optimistic' about Nato's future
Tuesday 12 May 2026 18:02 , Alex CroftNato secretary general Mark Rutte spoke earlier, stating he is "extremely optimistic" about the future of the alliance.
"When you look at the short term, of course there are discussions, about Iran, and how we make sure that allies in Europe will be able to help with situations in the Strait of Hormuz," Mr Rutte said during a press conference in Montenegro.
"When it comes to the more fundamental question of Nato's future, I'm extremely optimistic," he added, referring to commitments by European allies and Canada to massively increase their defence spending.
"It is not only crucial to equalize our defence spending with the US, but also because we need to defend ourselves against our adversaries, particularly Russia."
Nato allies' war game tests response to Russia and to US support
Tuesday 12 May 2026 19:00 , Alex CroftThe war game scenario was this: One of Nato’s newest members, Sweden, was under threat by an unnamed country that was building up troops along the military alliance’s eastern border. And in an unusual twist, non-Nato member Ukraine was there to advise on drone warfare.
The Associated Press was allowed to witness the Swedish-led military exercise this week as Europe faces not only the threat of Russia but the wavering of Nato’s most powerful member, the United States.
The war game that also involved US forces played out with a real threat in mind. For months, Russia has ramped up sabotage including cyberattacks against critical infrastructure and disinformation against countries across Europe, as detailed by an AP investigation.
Read more here:
NATO allies' war game tests response to Russia and to US support
Germany divided after Putin floats Schroder as Ukraine mediator
Tuesday 12 May 2026 20:00 , Alex CroftVladimir Putin recently suggested that former German chancellor Gerhard Schroder could help negotiate peace in Ukraine, saying he believes the war may be “coming to an end”.
The idea divided opinion in Germany. Former lawmaker Michael Roth said a mediator “cannot be Putin’s buddy” and stressed that Ukraine should decide who can take part in peace talks.
“Neither Moscow nor we can decide that on Kyiv’s behalf,” he said in an interview with Tagesspiegel.
But some members of Germany’s Social Democratic Party said the proposal should still be “carefully considered” with European partners.
Schroder has stayed close to Russian president Putin even after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. He also worked on major Russian energy projects, including the Nord Stream gas pipelines and the Russian oil company Rosneft.
Watch: Ukraine Defence Ministry shares footage of air defences in action
Tuesday 12 May 2026 21:02 , Alex CroftSince January 2026, Ukraine's air defense has shot down roughly 88% of Russian Kh-101, Kh-55, and Kh-555 cruise missiles. pic.twitter.com/ZaZhqLOFRf
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 11, 2026
Ukraine reports 180 battlefield clashes as fighting kills three
Tuesday 12 May 2026 22:02 , Alex CroftThe General Staff of Ukraine's military, in a Monday morning report, said 180 battlefield clashes had been recorded along the front line over the previous 24 hours.
The General Staff said on Monday afternoon that Russian troops had carried out 38 new assaults on Ukrainian positions, adding: "Artillery shelling of border areas continues."
Regional governors in Ukraine reported on Monday that at least three people had been killed in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia and southern Kherson regions over the past 24 hours.
Europe rejects Putin’s pick for peace mediator: 'Not very wise'
Tuesday 12 May 2026 23:01 , Alex CroftThe EU’s foreign policy chief on Monday rejected Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder could represent Europe in future talks with Moscow on European security arrangements.
Putin told reporters on Saturday that he believed the war was “coming to an end”, and said he would be open to negotiating new security terms with Europe, ideally via Schröder as a mediator.
But Kaja Kallas dismissed the offer this morning as she arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
“If we give the right to Russia to appoint a negotiator on our behalf, you know, that would not be very wise,” she said, adding that as Schroder had lobbied for Russian state companies, “he would be sitting on both sides of the table”.
After leaving office in 2005, Schroeder almost immediately took a job as chairman of a controversial German-Russian gas pipeline consortium and has faced heavy criticism in Germany for his closeness to Putin.
European Council President Antonio Costa said last week he believed there was "potential" for the EU to negotiate with Russia, and to discuss the future of the security architecture of Europe.
Zelensky's ex-chief of staff named as suspect in major corruption probe
Wednesday 13 May 2026 00:01 , Alex CroftUkrainian authorities yesterday named Volodymyr Zelensky's powerful former chief of staff as a suspect in a major corruption probe, a move likely to pile pressure on the president's office at a sensitive moment in the war with Russia.
Kyiv's political class was rocked by a wide-ranging investigation last year that had fueled public anger and prompted the ex-top adviser and Zelensky's right-hand man, Andriy Yermak, to resign.
In a statement, Ukraine's anti-graft agencies said Yermak is suspected of participating in a criminal group that laundered around $10.5 million through an elite housing development outside the capital Kyiv.
The agencies did not name Yermak, in line with Ukrainian law, but he was widely identified by local media. Speaking to Ukrainian outlet Radio Liberty, he denied owning real estate in the development but did not comment further.
The case is part of a broader probe into high-level graft first unveiled last November, when a former Zelensky business partner was accused of running a $100 million kickback scheme at the state atomic agency.
The ex-German chancellor and Putin’s ‘buddy’ who Russia want to mediate Ukraine peace talks
01:29 , Alex CroftVladimir Putin hinted over the weekend that he foresaw the war in Ukraine coming to an end soon, while raising the prospect of talks with the EU to draw up new security arrangements for a post-war Europe.
The Russian president told reporters that he would be open to reopening lines of communication with Ukraine and Europe, ideally mediated by former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder.
“For me personally, the former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr Schröder, is preferable,” Putin said, asked on Saturday if he was willing to engage with Europe.
The ex-German chancellor and Putin ally who Russia want to lead Ukraine peace talks
UK sanctions dozens over 'Russian campaign to deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children'
03:00 , Alex CroftThe UK has sanctioned dozens of people and entities allegedly involved in the forced deportation, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children.
New measures target 29 people linked to a Russian campaign to forcibly deport and militarise children, and a further 56 linked to information warfare.
More than 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly transferred or deported to Russia and within the occupied territories of Ukraine.
Among those forcibly deported, an estimated 6,000 children have reportedly been taken to re‑education camps and subjected to propaganda designed to erase Ukrainian identity.
As part of their response, the UK unveiled an additional £1.2m in funding to help identify and return Ukrainian children to their homes and communities.
