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 a Russian strike against Kherson on Aug. 24, 2023. (Source: Kherson Oblast Prosecutor's Office)
Russian forces launched a strike against the center of Kherson on Aug. 24, injuring at least three people, including a seven-year-old girl, local officials reported.
According to the Kherson Oblast Prosecutor's Office, Russia carried out the attack at around 11 a.m., hitting the roof of a residential house.
The girl who was among the three injured sustained wounds to her back, arm, and leg. She has been hospitalized and is in moderate condition, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.
The information on the total tally of the victims is being clarified, the governor added.
The southern city of Kherson has been a regular target of Russian attacks since its liberation in November 2022. Russian troops continue to hold positions on the left bank of the Dnipro River that divides Kherson Oblast.
Overnight and during the past day, seven residents of Kherson Oblast have been injured in Russian strikes, the governor wrote on his Telegram channel.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Daria Shulzhenko
