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.
A captive named Umit allegedly agreed to serve in the Russian army in exchange for Russian citizenship and a monetary reward of 2 million rubles ($25,000).
Russia's Buryatia Republic declared a state of emergency on May 13 over massive forest fires that have engulfed multiple regions in the Russian Far East.
The first unit of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant near Netishyn, western Ukraine, on August 31, 2023. (Photo by Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images)
A Russian attack on Khmelnytskyi Oblast in western Ukraine resulted in damage to the buildings near the region's nuclear power plant, the Energy Ministry said on Oct. 25.
While air defense systems shot down the incoming projectiles, the resulting explosions damaged the windows of an administrative and a laboratory building near the plant, the Energy Ministry reported.
The attack also damaged a power line, leaving 1,860 households in Khmelnytskyi Oblast without power, according to the ministry.
Earlier in the day, the local authorities had already reported that that falling debris damaged "critical infrastructure."
"Restoration work will begin as soon as energy workers are allowed to the site of damage," the ministry said.
It was the fourth day in a row that Khmelnytskyi Oblast had been attacked by Russian forces, leaving 16 people injured.
Ukraine's Air Force later said that 11 Shahed-type drones had been shot down overnight, including over Khmelnytskyi Oblast.
Located about 450 kilometers west of Kyiv and around 950 kilometers from the front line, Khmelnytskyi Oblast is nonetheless the target of regular Russian attacks.
Abbey Fenbert
