Performing their song "Bird of Pray," Ukrainian band Ziferblat passed the Eurovision semi-finals on May 13, qualifying Ukraine for Saturday's grand final.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a Russian delegation will be in Istanbul on May 15 for direct peace talks with Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov will likely represent Russia.
The move follows Ukraine's ratification of the minerals agreement, deepening U.S.-Ukraine economic ties and signaling expanded U.S. involvement in Ukraine's long-term recovery.
"Ukraine has initiated a coordinated campaign to vilify Hungary in order to undermine our initiative to hold a poll on (Kyiv's) EU membership," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that further concessions from Ukraine during negotiations would be unreasonable if Russia continues to attack civilian targets.
U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, will travel to Istanbul for possible peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, Reuters reported on May 13, citing three undisclosed sources.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but said both leaders are ready to fly to Istanbul if Russian President Vladimir Putin chooses to attend the talks there.
Remain of Shahed 136 drone at an exhibition showing remains of missiles and drones that Russia used to attack Kyiv on May 12, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Oleksii Samsonov /Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Russia attacked Ukraine overnight on June 30 with 13 Shahed-136/131 drones and four S-300 missiles, the Air Force reported. Ukrainian air defenses shot down ten drones.
The attack hit military and infrastructure facilities in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the Air Force wrote on Telegram.
According to acting Zaporizhzhia Mayor Anatolii Kurtiev, there were no casualties or damages to people’s homes. He didn’t provide any further details on the consequences of the attack.
Earlier overnight, several explosions were heard in the city of Zaporizhzhia.
Russian forces launched the Iranian-made kamikaze drones from the Russian city of Primorsko-Akhtarsk on the eastern coast of the Azov Sea, added the Air Force.
Russia regularly uses Soviet-era S-300 missiles to strike Ukrainian settlements close to the front line, such as Zaporizhzhia. Those missiles have a maximum range of up to 150 kilometers and can reach targets in minutes.
According to the Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat, Ukraine’s air defense is currently unable to shoot down the S-300 missiles in the air. Those missile systems are usually destroyed on the ground during Ukrainian strikes on Russian positions.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
Francis Farrell
