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.
Emergency and rescue personnel clear the rubble from the Okhmatdyt children's hospital, which was destroyed in a Russian missile attack, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 8, 2024. (Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images)
At least 219 civilians were killed and 1,018 injured in Ukraine in July, making it "the deadliest month for civilians" since October 2022, the U.N. human rights office said in a report on Aug. 9.
"The high number of casualties in July continues a trend of increasing civilian casualties since March 2024," reads the report.
The vast majority of civilian casualties (90%) and damage to educational and healthcare facilities (86%) continued to occur in the Ukraine-controlled territory in July, according to the report.
Russia carried out a mass aerial attack against Ukraine on the morning of July 8, targeting Kyiv, Dnipro, and Kryvyi Rih, among other cities, killing over 40 people and injuring at least 147, including seven children.
Okhmatdyt, Ukraine's largest children's medical center, was hit during the Russian July 8 missile attack. Two people, including a doctor, were killed there while one hospital building was destroyed and four others damaged.
A boy who was evacuated from the Okhmatdyt children's hospital after the attack died at another Kyiv hospital on July 10.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the U.N. estimates that at least 11,520 civilians have been killed and at least 23,640 injured.
The actual figure of civilian casualties is likely much higher.
The number of dead and injured in fighting immediately after the outbreak of the full-scale war has yet to be fully accounted for, and some of the places that saw the heaviest combat in early 2022 are still under Russian occupation, making it all but impossible for outside observers to investigate.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
Natalia Yermak
