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.
A view of the buildings in the city center in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on July 11, 2023. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Valentyna Polishchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
A Russian drone attack in the early hours of March 10 damaged civilian infrastruacture and residential buildings in Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported via Telegram.
Russian forces launched Shahed drones overnight at a densely populated area of the city, Terekhov said. The attack partially damaged a civilian infrastructure facility and nearby apartment buildings.
There were no casualties, according to the mayor. Terekhov said emergency services were at work at the site of the attack.
Earlier in the evening, Ukraine's Air Force had warned that groups of Shahed drones were flying toward Kharkiv.
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, is located about 30 kilometers from the Russian border.
Due to its proximity to the border, Kharkiv Oblast and the regional capital have faced near-daily attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion. Part of the region was also occupied in early February 2022 before its liberation in early September.
More than 20,000 buildings have been destroyed in Kharkiv since Feb. 24, 2022, according to Ukrainian government figures. An overnight attack on the city on March 2 destroyed four cars and damaged the windows of at least 10 residential buildings.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Alexander Khrebet
