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.
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 woman stands in front of a destroyed house, in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on Sep.12, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least six people and injured at least 25 over the past day, regional authorities reported on Sept. 14.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 72 of the 76 Shahed-type drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.
A Russian airstrike against the village of Yampil in Sumy Oblast on the morning of Sept. 13 killed two civilians and injured six, including a 4-year-old child, regional authorities reported.
A 30-year-old woman was injured by a Russian FPV drone in Kupiansk, while a 64-year-old man was injured in a ballistic missile attack on a bread factory.
Three other men were injured during shelling across the oblast.
In Kherson Oblast, one person was killed and seven injured over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. An educational institution, two high-rise buildings, six houses, a bus, and cars were damaged.
No casualties were reported in Mykolaiv Oblast, Governor Vitalii Kim said, but Russian artillery fire and drones were active.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Chris York
