"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.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko's statement came as Strong Shield 5 exercises involving military personnel from other NATO countries began in Lithuania.
"Amendments to the Budget Code are needed to implement the provisions on funding the U.S.-Ukrainian Reconstruction Investment Fund," lawmaker Roksolana Pidlasa said.
A first responder at the site of an attack on Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 30, 2023. (Pavlo Petrov via State Emegency Service)
Ukrainian forces downed six out of eight Iranian-made Shahed drones, as well as four out of six Kh-101 cruise missiles launched by Russia at Ukraine overnight on June 4, the General Staff reported, citing updated information.
Previously Ukraine's Air Force reported, based on preliminary information, that air defense had shot down four of six cruise missiles and three of five drones.
During the day, the Russian army launched 7 missile attacks, 25 air strikes and about 20 attacks with multiple launch rocket systems, the General Staff said.
On June 2, Ukraine shot down more than 30 Russian aerial targets, including drones and missiles in Kyiv alone, the Kyiv City Military Administration reported on Telegram.
Russia conducted over 20 missile and drone attacks against Kyiv alone in May.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Olga Rudenko
