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).
Russia's Buryatia Republic declared a state of emergency on May 13 over massive forest fires that have engulfed multiple regions in the Russian Far East.
The aftermath of a suspected car bombing in Sevastopol, occupied Crimea, Ukraine, on Nov. 13, 2024. (Baza/Telegram)
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on Nov. 19 announced the detention of two residents of Russian-occupied Crimea in connection with a car bombing in Sevastopol on Nov. 13 that killed Russian Navy officer Valery Trankovsky.
A source from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent at the time that Trankovsky was responsible for missile strikes against Ukrainian cities and his killing was a result of an SBU operation.
According to the FSB, a 38-year-old resident of Sevastopol tracked Trankovsky’s car, while a 47-year-old resident of Yalta reportedly constructed and placed an improvised explosive device under the vehicle.
Authorities claimed to have found 1.2 kilograms of explosives, equivalent to TNT, in the 47-year-old suspect's garage.
Trankovsky was chief of staff of the 41st Missile Boat Brigade and a "war criminal who has ordered cruise missile launches from the Black Sea against civilian sites in Ukraine," the source said.
The officer was allegedly responsible for the Kalibr missile strike against the city of Vinnytsia in July 2022 that killed 29 people and injured over 200 more. He also oversaw strikes against Odesa and other cities, leaving many civilians dead, the source said.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of Russian military officers involved in the war against Ukraine being killed in Russia or Russian-occupied territories.
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.
Martin Fornusek
