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.
The aftermath of a Russian attack on the town of Hlukhiv in Sumy Oblast on July 27, 2024. (State Emergency Service)
Russian troops attacked the town of Hlukhiv in Sumy Oblast on July 27, killing a child and injuring 14 other people, the local authorities reported.
Russia used multiple launch rocket systems against downtown Hlukhiv, damaging high-rise buildings, houses, vehicles and an educational institution, according to the prosecutors. A total of 12 explosions were recorded.
A 14-year-old boy was killed, and another seven children are among the injured, the authorities said.
The aftermath of a Russian attack on the town of Hlukhiv in Sumy Oblast on July 27, 2024. (Sumy Oblast Prosecutor's Office)
Residents who live along Sumy Oblast's northeastern border with Russia experience daily attacks from nearby Russian troops. Russian strikes against the region have become increasingly destructive in recent months.
Russian troops also attacked Sumy Oblast 15 times overnight, and deployed mines and FPV (first-person view) drones, causing 60 explosions, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Dominic Culverwell
