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.
A house damaged by a Russian airstrike on the village of Shcherbynivka, Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine, on Feb. 29, 2024. (Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office/Telegram)
Russian forces launched an airstrike on the village of Shcherbynivka in Donetsk Oblast, wounding three people and damaging multiple houses, the regional prosecutor's office reported on Feb. 29.
Russia dropped a bomb on the village at around 4:50 p.m. local time, completely destroying a house, the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office said on Telegram.
The debris and blast wave injured three residents of houses nearby, a 63-year-old woman and two men aged 65 and 76, according to the prosecutors.
At least 10 nearby houses and outbuildings were reportedly damaged in the strike.
Shcherbynivka lies around 35 kilometers southwest of Russian-occupied Bakhmut.
Russian attacks against Donetsk Oblast on Feb. 28 killed two civilians and injured four others, Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin reported earlier.
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.
Daria Shulzhenko
