During reconnaissance in an unspecified front-line sector, Special Operations Forces' operators detected Buk-M3 and Uragan-1 on combat duty, the unit said.
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.
Ukrainian paratrooper Andriy (L), 47, and comrades wait for transport along the road in Chasiv Yar on Jan. 28, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP via Getty Images)
Russian forces may have gained "a foothold" around the village of Bohdanivka, three kilometers northeast of Chasiv Yar, but Moscow's claims from April 21 that it had been taken completely remain unconfirmed.
An analysis from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on April 21 said there had been no visual confirmation that the village was fully under Russian control and that some pro-Kremlin sources were reporting Ukrainian forces still held ground to the north and northwest.
In an interview with Suspline media on April 21, a Ukrainian National Guard officer said Russian troops were "advancing very successfully in the direction of Chasiv Yar."
"It must be understood that the outskirts of the city were practically destroyed a year ago, there are no hard fortifications," the officer, Volodymyr Cherniak, said, adding: "Now, after the Russian military managed to gain a foothold in the Bohdanivka area, they pulled all possible resources there, and have dug in well."
The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify any of the claims and contacted Ukraine's military but has yet to receive a response.
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War Notes
In an interview with NBC News published on April 21, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia will attempt to capture the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, just west of the Russian-occupied Bakhmut, by May 9.
On May 9, Russia celebrates Victory Day, a heavily militarized holiday marking the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II.
Zelensky's comments align with those made by Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi on April 14, amid a deteriorating situation in the region as Ukrainian ammunition and supplies run short.
"I visited the region recently. I talked to the soldiers. The soldiers say that they lack equipment," Zelensky said.
"They need to fight Russian reconnaissance drones, which essentially guide the artillery. And we need artillery shells. I hope we will be able to stay, and the weapons will come on time, and we will repel the enemy, and then we'll break the plans of the Russian Federation."
Chasiv Yar, a nearly-emptied and heavily damaged town located around 10 kilometers (six miles) west of Bakhmut, appears to be Russia's next goal.
Russia ramped up its offensive on Chasiv Yar after capturing Avdiivka, which lies about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southward, and its tempo of advance declined in early March.
Russia sees Chasiv Yar as a crucial milestone for further advances toward Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk, the Ukrainian military said.
About 800 people remain in Chasiv Yar, according to local authorities.
On April 5, Moscow's proxies claimed that Russian troops had entered Chasiv Yar's suburbs, but Ukraine's military later refuted that statement.
Martin Fornusek
