In an interview with French broadcaster TF1 on May 13, Macron discussed new Russia sanctions and stationing French nuclear weapons in other European countries as a deterrent against Russia.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes: A sign reading "I love Voronezh" sits on the side of a highway in Russia's Voronezh on June 27, 2023. (Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)
A drone attack overnight on Aug. 24 caused a fire and "detonation of explosive objects" in Russia's Voronezh Oblast, regional Governor Aleksandr Gusev reported.
In recent months, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia's military infrastructure and oil industry.
Russian air defense units destroyed several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over Voronezh Oblast on Aug. 24, Gusev claimed. Falling weapons fragments caused a fire and "detonation of explosive objects" at an unnamed site.
The Russian Telegram channel Astra reported that the explosion occurred at an ammunition depot in Ostrogozhsk.
No casualties were reported, and emergency services are at work on site, Gusev said.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify Gusev's claims at the time of publication.
Gusev reported Ukraine's July 7 attack on a large ammunition depot in the region in similar terms, describing detonations of unidentified objects rather than specifying the facility that was hit.
Voronezh Oblast borders Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast, which remains partially occupied by Russian forces.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
