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.
An educational facility damaged in a Russian strike on Kherson Oblast, Ukraine, overnight on Feb. 20, 2024. (Kherson Oblast Military Administration/Telegram)
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed two people and injured another 10 over the past day, regional authorities reported early on Feb. 20.
Russia targeted a total of 11 Ukrainian oblasts — Poltava, Kirovohrad, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Luhansk, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Sumy. Casualties were reported in the latter four regions.
Russian forces launched 23 drones to attack Ukraine overnight, all of which were downed by Ukrainian air defenses, the Air Force said. Debris from the drones reportedly damaged an industrial facility in Poltava Oblast as well as several houses and vehicles in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Russian troops carried out 435 strikes against 19 settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in the past day, killing two people in Prymorske and Lisne, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported.
The strikes against Zaporizhzhia Oblast damaged 13 houses and infrastructure facilities, according to Fedorov.
Russia hit multiple settlements in Kharkiv Oblast over the past 24 hours, injuring four people, according to Oleh Syniehubov, the regional governor.
A woman was wounded in a Russian air strike on Kupiansk, another woman received medical assistance after being rescued from the rubble of a house in a nearby village, and two other men suffered injuries in the Russian shelling of Vovchansk, said Syniehubov.
The strikes against Kharkiv Oblast damaged six houses, an apartment building, an enterprise, an electrical substation, an educational facility, a cultural center, a cafe, and vehicles, Syniehubov added.
Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast overnight and on the previous day injured two people and hit residential areas and a relief center in the Beryslav district, Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported early on Feb. 20.
Two hours later, the regional administration said that the overnight strikes damaged three educational facilities and about a dozen homes in Kherson Oblast.
Russian forces hit Sumy Oblast 252 times in 54 separate attacks on Feb. 19, injuring 4 people, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported earlier.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
Alexander Khrebet
