The blockade ended at 10:30 p.m. local time. Truck traffic in both directions is now moving as usual, according to Ukraine's State Border Guard's statement.
Russia seems to be preparing a significant offensive in Ukraine as it is moving troops toward key positions on the front, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials.
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.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
In an interview with French broadcaster TF1 on May 13, Macron discussed new Russia sanctions and stationing French nuclear weapons in other European countries as a deterrent against Russia.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes. Local residents walk past destroyed houses in the city, approximately 7 km from the front line, on Nov 16, 2024 in Pokrovsk, Ukraine. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
Russian forces launched multiple attacks across Ukraine, killing six civilians and injuring six, regional authorities reported on Dec. 27.
Overnight, Russia launched 24 drones from inside Russia, as well as two Iskander-M ballistic missiles from Voronezh and Kursk oblasts, Ukraine’s Air Force reported.
Ukrainian defenses shot down 13 drones across Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipro, and Donetsk oblasts.
Eleven other drones were reportedly brought down with electronic warfare countermeasures.
In Donetsk Oblast, Russian troops attacked an apartment block in Chasiv Yar with an FPV (first person view) drone, killing two civilians and injuring two others. Another civilian was killed in Novoekonomichne near Pokrovsk, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.
In Sumy Oblast, Russian forces shelled border areas and settlements 169 times, causing 311 explosions. One civilian was killed, and a private house was destroyed by the attacks, according to the local administration.
Kharkiv Oblast also came under fire, with the Russian military launching a KAB guided bomb attack, killing two people and injuring four, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
