War in Ukraine: Russia asserts that the end is near but resumes bombings

You missed the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes will update you every evening. Here’s the summary of this Tuesday, May 12, 2026, the 1,539th day of the conflict.

The fact of the day: Despite Vladimir Putin’s comments on Saturday mentioning an “upcoming end” to the war, the Kremlin stated on Tuesday that it was premature to discuss the “concrete details” of the peace process between Russia and Ukraine. The Russian presidency’s spokesperson, Dmitri Peskov, indicated that while progress in the peace process suggests the end is truly nearing, specific details cannot be disclosed at this time.

Russian President had surprised everyone by claiming that the conflict in Ukraine was “approaching its end” during a press conference on the day of the Soviet victory celebrations over Nazi Germany. He mentioned that Russia remains open to communication and that trilateral format work has been done. Peskov added that Russia will welcome further efforts from the United States. Negotiations between Moscow and Kiev under American mediation have been on hold since the start of the war in late February.

The figure of the day: 216. This is the number of drones launched by Russia on Monday night against Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russian strikes in the eastern part of the country resulted in at least one death and four injuries.

On the Russian side, it was confirmed on Tuesday that the Russian army resumed its offensive in Ukraine after the three-day ceasefire expired at midnight on Monday.

Trend: Russia announced on Tuesday that it successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which is expected to be “combat-ready” by the end of this year. This comes after the expiration of the New Start treaty binding Moscow and Washington on nuclear disarmament. President Vladimir Putin labeled it as “the most powerful missile system in the world” after a successful test of the Sarmat missile.

The statement of the day: “We now have certainty that it is Ukrainian.” These words were from the Greek Minister of Defense, Nikos Dendias, who declared on Tuesday that the military drone found in the Ionian Sea last Thursday off the coast of Greece is Ukrainian.

According to the minister, this is “an extremely serious issue that affects the freedom and security of navigation.” He informed his European counterparts and the Ukrainian Defense Minister participating via video conference in the European Council.

The military drone was found in a cave off the coast of the Isle of Leucade in the Ionian Sea by fishermen, prompting the Greek Ministry of Defense to open an investigation.