Russia seems to be preparing a significant offensive in Ukraine as it is moving troops toward key positions on the front, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials.
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.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
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.
Emergency workers dig through the rubble of a destroyed house after a Russian attack against Kharkiv on Oct. 29, 2024. (State Emergency Service / Telegram)
Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russia attacked Kharkiv's Osnovyanskyi district with a Grom-E1 hybrid missile overnight on Oct. 29, killing at least four people, local authorities reported.
Four people — two women and two men — were killed in the attack, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said. Their bodies were retrieved from the rubble of destroyed homes.
The attack destroyed one house and damaged 19 others, along with four cars, the agency reported.
Rescuers are searching for other victims, including children, who may still be trapped under the rubble, according to regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
The attack occurred around 3 a.m. local time, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. The strike was made with a Grom-E1, a hybrid missile and glide bomb.
Hours before the latest attack, a Russian FAB-500 bomb struck downtown Kharkiv on the evening of Oct. 28, damaging the landmark Derzhprom building and injuring nine people.
The northeastern city of Kharkiv has suffered relentless Russian attacks for over the past two years of Russia's full-scale war. In recent months, Moscow has intensified strikes against Kharkiv, often targeting densely populated neighborhoods.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Kateryna Hodunova
