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 captive named Umit allegedly agreed to serve in the Russian army in exchange for Russian citizenship and a monetary reward of 2 million rubles ($25,000).
The aftermath of the Russian air strike on the city of Sumy on April 12, 2024. (Sumy Oblast military administration/Telegram)
A Russian attack on the northeastern city of Sumy injured at least three people and caused severe damage to civilian infrastructure, the local military administration reported on April 12.
Russiacarried out the air strike at around 3 p.m. local time, targeting the residential sector and civilian facilities.
Two administrative non-residential buildings were damaged, as well as 73 windows were blown out in the apartment buildings nearby.
The attack also caused a fire on the roof of one of the administrative facilities. It has been eliminated by the emergency services, which are still working at the impact scene as of around 5 p.m. local time.
The information on casualties and damages is being clarified, the military administrationsaid.
Over the past day, on April 12, Russia attacked Sumy Oblasteight times, targeting the Svesa, Khotin, Esman, and Vorozhba communities. Over 39 explosions were recorded.
Communities near Ukraine's northeastern borderwith Russia are regularly targeted by Russian artillery and air strikes, with residents in the region's vulnerable border settlements experiencing multiple attacks per day.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Elsa Court
