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.
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.
A house damaged by one of the Russian attacks on Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Oblast on June 11-12, 2023. (Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko/Telegram)
Russian troops carried out strikes on nine Ukrainian oblasts over the past 24 hours, killing four civilians and wounding 18, according to regional authorities.
Russian attacks were reported in Donetsk, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Luhansk oblasts.
Russian forces struck southern Kherson Oblast 26 times on June 11, firing 132 rounds from artillery, mortars, Grad multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), aviation, and drones, the regional administration wrote.
The attacks killed three civilians in the region and wounded 12 more, according to Kherson Oblast Military Administration.
In Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks killed one person in Avdiivka and injured two more in Ivanivske, according to Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko. Russia hit five settlements and two communities in the region, damaging two houses, outbuildings, and a depot, said Kyrylenko.
Russian troops hit four districts in Kharkiv Oblast with mortars, artillery, and missiles, wounding a 40-year-old man in the village of Vilkhuvatka and a 33-year-old man in Shevchenkove, reported Governor Oleh Syniehubov. The damages in Kharkiv Oblast include at least 16 houses, an industrial facility, garages, and outbuildings, he added.
In Luhansk Oblast, a man received a mine-explosive injury and shrapnel wounds in a Russian attack on the village of Nevske near the border with Donetsk Oblast, according to the regional administration. Russia reportedly struck six settlements in the region, damaging infrastructure facilities.
Russian forces attacked 17 settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast 74 times over the past day using MLRS and artillery, as reported by the regional administration. A 50-year-old woman was wounded in a Russian attack on the village of Novoselivka, reads the report.
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.
Anna Myroniuk
