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.
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.
An aerial view of the city of Vuhledar, Ukraine on Dec. 14, 2023. (Libkos/Getty Images)
Russian forces are continuously storming the town of Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast, with the situation remaining "steadily tense," an infantry commander of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade, known as "Oscar," told Suspilne on Sept. 24.
While there are signs of stabilization near Pokrovsk, the focal point of Russia’s offensive in Donetsk Oblast, the situation is becoming increasingly difficult near Vuhledar.
The front-line town lies about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of occupied Donetsk and roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the administrative border with Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The 72nd Mechanized Brigade has defended Vuhledar for nearly two years, as Russian forces have been trying to capture the town since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Russian troops are constantly pushing toward Vuhledar, attempting to advance from different directions along the front line, according to the Ukrainian commander.
"As soon as (Russian forces) find an opportunity to advance, they start to deploy their attack units there," he added.
Russia is using a variety of weapons in its assaults on Vuhledar, including guided aerial bombs, armored vehicles, cannon artillery, mortars, and first-person-view (FPV) drones, Oscar added. "All types of troops and all means available are being deployed by the Russian army in this direction," he said.
"The enemy has 'disposable' equipment. Every armored vehicle that approaches our positions is mostly burned, and there are assaults every day," he said.
Andrii Kovalenko, head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said on Sept. 24 that Russia has devastated the town of Vuhledar and is attempting to advance from the flanks.
The small mining town of Vuhledar has lied close to the front line since 2014 and has been well-fortified in case of further Russian aggression. Vuhledar has withstood numerous attacks since the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022 and has become a key to Ukrainian defenses in the southern part of Donetsk Oblast.
"The loss of Vuhledar would be not only a morale blow for Ukraine since this city has resisted plenty of assaults since 2022, but also a very serious development that can potentially threaten the security of the entire southwestern portion of Donetsk Oblast not yet occupied, along with the threat to Pokrovsk's southern flank," Federico Borsari, a fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), told the Kyiv Independent.
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.
Kateryna Hodunova
