President Volodymyr Zelensky would not meet any other Russian official apart from Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul this week, presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on the Breakfast Show program on May 13.
U.S. and European officials held talks on May 12, during which Washington made it clear that it wanted to allow talks between Russia and Ukraine before increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin, sources told Bloomberg.
According to Steve Witkoff, the key topics in the peace discussions are the fate of the five partially or fully occupied Ukrainian regions, the status of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and Ukraine's access to the Dnipro River and the Black Sea.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is reportedly offering a deal that would give U.S. companies access to Syria's natural wealth, reminiscent of the minerals agreement Washington recently signed with Kyiv.
Russia attacked Ukraine with drones and guided bombs during the night, targeting multiple regions after the May 12 deadline for an unconditional ceasefire expired.
"Only member states can take out loans within the 150 billion euros instrument, but they can use these funds for joint procurement with Ukraine," EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said.
"We agreed to pursue ambitious measures to reduce Russia's ability to wage war by limiting Kremlin revenues, disrupting the shadow fleet, tightening the Oil Price Cap, and reducing our remaining imports of Russian energy."
Zelensky on May 12 removed Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk from the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the top command and control body for all branches of Ukraine's defense apparatus.
Ukraine remains the most mined country in the world. Nearly one-third of Ukraine's territory, approximately 174,000 square kilometers, had been mined since Russia began its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
The phone call comes as Moscow once again rejected a 30-day ceasefire, with Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova claiming that a ceasefire would give "Kyiv a break to restore its military potential and continue its confrontation with Russia."
Flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport en-route to Kuala Lumpur International Airport on July 17, 2014. Three hours into the flight, the Boeing-777 was shot down by Russian proxy forces using a Buk surface-to-air missile above Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast.
A Russian Navy ship (Back) passes by UK's Royal Navy HMS Defender (D1145) on June 6, 2022, as the ship participates in the BALTOPS 22 Exercise in the Baltic Sea. - BALTOPS 22 is the premier maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic Region. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP via Getty Images)
Russian sensors, believed to be part of an effort to spy on the U.K.'s nuclear submarines, have been discovered concealed in the waters surrounding Britain, the Sunday Times reported on April 5.
The U.K. military has discovered several of these sensors after they washed ashore, with more identified by the Royal Navy. These devices are believed to have been planted by Moscow in an effort to gather intelligence on the U.K.’s four Vanguard submarines, which carry nuclear missiles as part of Britain’s continuous at-sea deterrent.
"There should be no doubt, there is a war raging in the Atlantic. This is a game of cat and mouse that has continued since the ending of the Cold War, and is now heating up again. We are seeing phenomenal amounts of Russian activity," senior serving British military official told the Sunday Times.
The country's Defense Ministry (MoD) has kept details about the discovery secret, and the Sunday Times decided not to publish information on the sensors' locations.
Russia’s underwater surveillance efforts have extended beyond sensors. The Sunday Times investigation reveals that unmanned Russian vehicles have been found near deep-sea communications cables, and there is credible intelligence suggesting that superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs may have been used for underwater reconnaissance.
The MoD has also discovered other sensors on the sea bed, raising concerns about Russia’s ability to monitor the movements of the U.K.’s nuclear submarines. While the U.K. has ramped up its surveillance efforts, senior military figures stress the need for further investment in underwater defense capabilities.
The investigation suggests that Russia’s military program, particularly its deep-sea research vessel Yantar, poses a significant threat to Britain’s critical underwater infrastructure. The Yantar, equipped with unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and mini-submarines, has been spotted near vital internet cables and data centers.
According to Royal Navy sources, the Yantar’s presence in U.K. waters signals Russia’s escalating efforts to infiltrate vital communication lines and military cables.
The U.K.’s response includes the deployment of the RFA Proteus, a deep-sea surveillance vessel, tasked with countering Russian threats in domestic waters. The Proteus, operational since 2023, is the only surface ship capable of patrolling the deep-sea areas where Russia’s most advanced threats, such as nuclear-powered mini-submarines, could be lurking.
Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
Mika Aaltola
