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.
Ukraine remains the most mined country in the world. Nearly one-third of Ukraine's territory, approximately 174,000 square kilometers, had been mined since Russia began its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
The phone call comes as Moscow once again rejected a 30-day ceasefire, with Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova claiming that a ceasefire would give "Kyiv a break to restore its military potential and continue its confrontation with Russia."
A man from Luhansk was sentenced to 12 years over fighting for Russian proxy forces. Photo published on Dec. 6, 2023. (Prosecutor General's Office)
A man from Luhansk was sentenced to 12 years in prison for voluntarily fighting in the ranks of Russian proxy forces in Luhansk Oblast, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on Dec. 6.
Russia has occupied part of Luhansk Oblast since 2014, and has captured most of the region since the start of the full-scale invasion. While some residents of occupied territories have willingly collaborated with Russia, Moscow has also reportedly coerced locals into their ranks.
The man, who served as a firefighter commander in Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast between 2018 and 2022, signed a contract with Russian proxy forces in the region in December 2022, the prosecutors said.
He reportedly fought at the front in Luhansk Oblast since March 2023.
Ukrainian forces detained the collaborator in late May near the village of Bilohorivka, one of the few settlements in Luhansk Oblast still held by Ukraine, according to the prosecutors.
Apart from the prison sentence, the penalty for the man issued by the court included confiscation of property and a ban on holding positions in judicial or law enforcement bodies.
Two other militants from occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts fighting under Russia were sentenced to 12 years in prison last week.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Alexander Khrebet
