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.
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).
The aftermath of Russian attacks against the Nikopol district, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Dec. 2, 2024. (Governor Serhii Lysak/Telegram)
Editor's note: The article was updated with a statement by the Air Force
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed at least one person and injured at least eight over the past day, regional authorities reported on Dec. 3.
Moscow's forces targeted energy infrastructure facilities in several regions as Ukraine enters its third winter of the full-scale war.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 22 of the 28 Russian drones launched against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force reported. One drone was lost in Ukraine, and two flew toward Belarus and Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, according to the statement.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a 21-year-old man was injured during Russian attacks against the Nikopol district, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. Eight houses, a high school building, a shop, a gas station, and other buildings were damaged.
Russian attacks against the town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast killed one person and injured another, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. Two more people were reportedly wounded during strikes against the village of Shevchenko.
In Kharkiv Oblast, an 80-year-old woman was injured during a Russian attack with a multiple-launch rocket system against the Prystyn village near Kupiansk, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.
Three people were injured during Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. A multi-story building, 12 houses, and other buildings were damaged.
A Russian attack against Rivne Oblast damaged an emergency facility infrastructure, Governor Oleksandr Koval said. No casualties were reported.
An energy infrastructure site was also damaged during a drone attack against the city of Ternopil, resulting in a fire. No casualties were reported, but some residents were left without electricity as a result, Mayor Serhii Nadal said.
Khmelnytskyi, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts also came under attack, but no casualties were reported.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Asami Terajima
