Performing their song "Bird of Pray," Ukrainian band Ziferblat passed the Eurovision semi-finals on May 13, qualifying Ukraine for the grand final on May 17.
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.
The State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) is conducting searches at a Kyiv thermal power plant's premises in relation to allegedly stolen funds allocated for the station's repairs, the DBR reported on Oct. 27, 2023. (DBR/Telegram)
The State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) is conducting searches at a Kyiv thermal power plant's premises in relation to suspected theft of funds, which were allocated for the station's repairs, the DBR reported on Oct. 27.
The Bureau said it has information suggesting that a company contracted last year to repair damages at the plant caused by Russian attacks never carried out the work despite receiving payment for it.
The DBR is carrying out searches at the plant's administrative buildings to review documentation related to the supposed repair works, their results, and documents proving the admission of the contractor's employees to the plant.
The organization contracted for the repair works is also under investigation by the DBR.
The Kyiv City Military Administration raised complaints about the searches earlier on Oct. 27, claiming that access to critical energy facilities is restricted under martial law.
City authorities accused the DBR of safety violations during the search, namely recording videos of the facility.
The DBR responded that the searches are being "carried out in strict compliance with the recommendations of services that ensure the safety of strategic objects."
The plant is managed by KyivTeploEnergo, the capital's municipal enterprise.
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.
Oleksandr Kalitenko
