"I am waiting to see who will come from Russia, and then I will decide which steps Ukraine should take. So far, the signals from them in the media are unconvincing," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The air raid was announced at around 2:30 p.m. local time, while the explosion sounded around 2:50 p.m. The number of victims killed rose to three, Sumy Oblast Governor Oleh Hryhorov reported at 8:42 p.m.
If confirmed, the decision would mark the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion that President Volodymyr Zelensky is absent, either physically or virtually, from a NATO summit.
The disclosure follows a warning from Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, who on May 6 said Moscow was carrying out an "unprecedented" interference campaign.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva claimed that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had appealed to his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, to ask Putin if he was willing to conclude a peace agreement.
Earlier reporting from the Washington Post cited a former Russian official who claimed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, would represent Moscow in the talks.
The Council of Europe on May 14 approved the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russia's top leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainian lawmaker Maria Mezentseva reported.
Viktoria Roshchyna, 27, disappeared in August 2023 while reporting from Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories. Moscow admitted she was in Russian detention the following year.
Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel speaks about the future of the EU-led special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine and its role in bringing Russia to justice.
National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov speaks with the Kyiv Independent in his office on Jan. 30, 2023. (Danylo Pavlov)
Editor's note: This is a developing story.
President Volodymyr Zelensky approved on March 29 Oleksiy Danilov, the former National Security and Defense Council secretary, as the next Ukrainian ambassador to Moldova.
Zelensky announced Danilov's appointment the same day he dismissed Ukrainian ambassador to Chisinau, Markо Shevchenko, who had held the post since 2020.
Danilov was dismissed on March 26 after more than four years in office. A few days later, Zelensky said the former secretary would move to work in the diplomatic sphere.
"He (Danilov) told me about this vision of his future work for Ukraine," the president said in an evening address. "Moldova is a very important country both in terms of security challenges in the region and in terms of our bilateral cooperation."
Danilov was replaced by the ex-chief of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Oleksandr Lytvynenko. Oleh Ivashchenko, a former deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR), was appointed as the new head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service.
"I look forward to strengthening the strategic capabilities of our state to predict and influence the processes on which the country's national security depends," Zelensky said, commenting on the reshuffle.
In March, Zelensky also approved the next Ukrainian ambassador to the U.K., Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who previously served as the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces. Zaluzhnyi had led the country's military since July 2021.
Earlier, the president said that a reset of Ukraine's leadership was necessary and could involve several personnel shakeups beyond the military.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Paula Erizanu
