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.
Russia's Black Sea Fleet warships take part in Navy Day celebrations in the port city of Novorossiysk on July 30, 2023. (Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)
Russia has added two additional missile-launching vessels to its Black Sea Fleet, military authorities in southern Ukraine reported on Telegram.
Two new Russian naval frigates are already present and on active combat duty in the Black Sea, along with a submarine.
These vessels could launch a volley of up to 20 Kalibr cruise missiles, the report estimates.
Authorities warned that the threat of missile strikes is very high and urged residents to pay attention to warnings and head to shelters if necessary.
Russia had a total of seven warships on combat duty in the Black Sea on Oct. 14, the Ukrainian Navy reported.
"As of 11:30 on October 14, 2023, there are seven enemy warships on combat duty in the Black Sea, including a Kalibr cruise missile carrier. There is also an enemy ship on combat duty in the Sea of Azov, and four in the Mediterranean," the report reads.
On Oct. 14, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported that Russia was doubling down on defense in the Black Sea after suffering losses in Ukrainian strikes.
Lance Luo (Li P. Luo) is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. Previously, he worked at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Hromadske Television in Kyiv. He also spent three years in finance and strategy consulting. Mr. Luo graduated from the University of Southern California and serves as an arbitrator at FINRA.
Alexander Khrebet
