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.
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.
During reconnaissance in an unspecified front-line sector, Special Operations Forces' operators detected Buk-M3 and Uragan-1 on combat duty, the unit said.
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.
The aftermath of a Russian strike against Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine, overnight on March 7, 2025. (State Emergency Service)
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russian forces launched a mass strike against various regions of Ukraine overnight on March 7, targeting energy and gas infrastructure across the country, Ukraine's Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said.
At least two people were injured as a result of the attacks after a Russian missile damaged two residential buildings in Poltava Oblast, injuring one adult and one child. No information was immediately available as to the status of their injuries.
Russia has regularly launched missiles targeting various regions of the country. Russian forces have continuously targeted Ukraine's critical infrastructure as Russia continues to test Ukrainian resolve in the harsh winter months.
Amid the U.S. pause on sharing intelligence with Kyiv, the New York Times reported on March 5, citing undisclosed U.S. and Ukrainian officials, that the pause affects warnings against Russian drones and missiles striking Ukrainian military and civilian targets.
Russia initially launched a series of missiles around 4 a.m. local time, targeting various regions in the country's far west. A second series of missiles entered Ukrainian airspace around 6 a.m.
Explosions were reported in the western city of Ternopil around 5 a.m. local time, following the first series of attacks, Suspilne reported. Later in the morning, explosions were heard in the front line city of Kharkiv around 6:30 a.m.
Ternopil Oblast Regional Governor Viacheslav Nehoda reported that a critical infrastructure facility in the region had been struck with a Russian missile. Although no injuries were reported, Nehoda added that gas supplies may be interrupted as a result of the attack.
Damage was also reported at a gas pipeline in Poltava Oblast amid the attack. No information was immediately available as to the extent of the damage.
Critical infrastructure facilities were also targeted in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, though no damage or casualties were reported, according to Governor Svitlana Onyshchuk.
Russia struck already the sixth facility of the DTEK energy company in Odesa Oblast in the past two and a half weeks, the company said. Critical infrastructure facilities were also targeted in Chernihiv Oblast, with at least one of them suffering damage, according to Governor Viacheslav Chaus.
Air defenses were active in all regions of Ukraine amid the missile threats.
Russia launched at least 67 missiles of various types and 194 attack and decoy drones against Ukraine, the Air Force reported. This included 35 Kh-101/55SM cruise missiles, eight Kalibr cruise missiles, three Iskander-M or KN-23 ballistic missiles, four S-400 missiles, and eight Kh-59/69 aerial missiles.
Ukrainian forces downed 134 aerial targets, including 25 Kh-101/55SM missiles, eight Kalibr missiles, one Kh-59/69 missile, and 100 drones. Ten missiles did not reach their targets, and 86 drones were lost from radars without causing damage, according to the statement.
Ukraine deployed F-16 fighter jets and Mirage 2000 jets to intercept the strike, marking the first confirmed case of Kyiv using the French-provided planes in combat.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
