"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 sign reads "Belgorod, the city of military glory" at the entrance to the Russian city of Belgorod, some 40 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, May 28, 2023. (Olga Maltseva / AFP via Getty Images)
Russia downed 25 Ukrainian drones over its territory overnight on March 12, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed.
According to the ministry, Russian air defense shot down two drones over Moscow Oblast, one over Leningrad Oblast, seven over Belgorod Oblast, 11 over Kursk Oblast, one over Bryansk Oblast, one over Tula Oblast, and two over Oryol Oblast.
The governor of Russia's Voronezh Oblast also claimed that a drone was shot down over the city of Voronezh. The Russian Defense Ministry did not mention the region in its statement.
While Kyiv has not claimed direct responsibility, the Ukrainian military intelligence's spokesperson Andrii Yusov commented on the overnight attacks.
"Everything that is used for military purposes – one way or another, such incidents happen. Traditionally, we cannot comment on who and what caused the damage. But this work will be continued," Yusov said, referring to the reported attacks at military facilities in Russia.
The Russian Defense Ministry's claim came after reports of alleged attacks overnight on several Russian oil refineries.
Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed that severeal settlements in the region have been cut off from electricity as a result of the alleged attacks.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the Russian claims.
In recent weeks and months, Russian authorities have reported an increasing number of drone strikes targeting Belgorod, Bryansk, Oryol, and Leningrad oblasts, as well as other regions.
The Kyiv Independent
