The suspect quit his job at the Rivne NPP before the full-scale war began. In the spring of 2025, a GRU liaison contacted him and offered cooperation in exchange for money.
President Volodymyr Zelensky would not meet any other Russian official apart from Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul this week, presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on the Breakfast Show program on May 13.
U.S. and European officials held talks on May 12, during which Washington made it clear that it wanted to allow talks between Russia and Ukraine before increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin, sources told Bloomberg.
According to Steve Witkoff, the key topics in the peace discussions are the fate of the five partially or fully occupied Ukrainian regions, the status of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and Ukraine's access to the Dnipro River and the Black Sea.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is reportedly offering a deal that would give U.S. companies access to Syria's natural wealth, reminiscent of the minerals agreement Washington recently signed with Kyiv.
Russia attacked Ukraine with drones and guided bombs during the night, targeting multiple regions after the May 12 deadline for an unconditional ceasefire expired.
"Only member states can take out loans within the 150 billion euros instrument, but they can use these funds for joint procurement with Ukraine," EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said.
"We agreed to pursue ambitious measures to reduce Russia's ability to wage war by limiting Kremlin revenues, disrupting the shadow fleet, tightening the Oil Price Cap, and reducing our remaining imports of Russian energy."
Zelensky on May 12 removed Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk from the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the top command and control body for all branches of Ukraine's defense apparatus.
Ukraine remains the most mined country in the world. Nearly one-third of Ukraine's territory, approximately 174,000 square kilometers, had been mined since Russia began its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
The phone call comes as Moscow once again rejected a 30-day ceasefire, with Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova claiming that a ceasefire would give "Kyiv a break to restore its military potential and continue its confrontation with Russia."
Firefighters putting out fire at an industrial facility in Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine, on Aug. 20, 2024, following a Russian missile attack. (State Emergency Service in Ternopil Oblast/Telegram)
Editor's note: The article was updated with the latest information to specify that 21 people were injured over the past day.
Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day killed at least five civilians and injured at least 21, including a child, regional authorities said early on Aug. 20.
Ukrainian air defenses downed 25 of the 26 Shahed-type "kamikaze" drones launched by Russia overnight, as well as two Kh-59 cruise missiles and one Iskander-K cruise missile, the Air Force said.
One person was injured in the morning during a Russian artillery attack against the Nikopol district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Governor Serhii Lysak said.
In Donetsk Oblast, five people were killed and seven injured in Russian attacks over the past day, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
Three people were killed during a strike against the village of Zarichne, one was killed in the town of Toretsk, and one in Siversk. Three more people were injured in Toretsk, as well as one in Siversk, two in Chasiv Yar, and one in Selydove, the governor reported.
Russia also struck the city of Ternopil, the regional center of Ternopil Oblast. At around 3 a.m., a fire was recorded in a fuel warehouse of an industrial facility, the State Emergency Service said during a briefing.
Firefighters putting out fire at an industrial facility in Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine, on Aug. 20, 2024, following a Russian missile attack. (State Emergency Service in Ternopil Oblast/Telegram)
Firefighters putting out fire at an industrial facility in Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine, on Aug. 20, 2024, following a Russian missile attack. (State Emergency Service in Ternopil Oblast/Telegram)
Firefighters putting out fire at an industrial facility in Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine, on Aug. 20, 2024, following a Russian missile attack. (State Emergency Service in Ternopil Oblast/Telegram)
Russian attacks injured four people in Kharkiv Oblast, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
A 78-year-old woman was reportedly injured in a strike against the Novoosynove village on the morning of Aug. 19.
A man and a woman, both aged 54, were injured during an attack against the village of Kozacha Lopan at 4:40 p.m. on Aug. 19. A 47-year-old man was also injured during a strike against the town of Kupiansk at 11:30 p.m, Syniehubov said.
In Kherson Oblast, four people were injured, including a child, said Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. A school, 17 houses, and other buildings were damaged.
Two of them were injured in the Seredyna-Buda community and two in the Esman community during the day on Aug. 19. The fifth one was injured overnight on Aug. 20 in the Shalyhyne community, the statement read.
An overnight Russian missile strike against energy facilities in the Hlukhiv community of Sumy Oblast reportedly left 72 settlements and 18,500 users without power.
The fire was contained as of 6:50 a.m. No casualties were reported at the time of the publication.
Chernihiv, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Vinnytsia, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts were also attacked, but no casualties were reported.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Chris York
