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 car exploded on a city street in Sevastopol in occupied Crimea on Nov. 13, killing a military service member behind the wheel, according to Russian-installed proxy head Mikhail Razvozhayev.
While it remains unclear who was behind the incident, several Russian officers involved in the war against Ukraine have been found dead under suspicious circumstances in Russia or Russian-occupied territories throughout the full-scale war.
First responders from the Russian Emergency Ministry arrived on the scene by 9:59 a.m. local time, only six minutes after the explosion. Despite their efforts and the rapid transfer of the driver to an ambulance, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after.
Razvozhayev confirmed that the deceased was a military officer and indicated that the explosion’s cause remains under investigation, noting that "the possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out."
The Telegram channel Baza identified the serviceman as 47-year-old Valery Trankovsky, a captain of the 1st rank in the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that Trankovsky had previously served as chief of staff for a missile boat brigade involved in the war in Ukraine, with its vessels launching Kalibr missile strikes.
Russian media outlet Mash claims that Trankovsky had been under surveillance for roughly a week and that an improvised explosive device (IED) was placed under the driver's side of his car and allegedly detonated remotely.
Ukraine has not commented on the claims, which could not be independently verified.
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.
Kateryna Denisova
