The blockade ended at 10:30 p.m. local time. Truck traffic in both directions is now moving as usual, according to Ukraine's State Border Guard's statement.
Russia seems to be preparing a significant offensive in Ukraine as it is moving troops toward key positions on the front, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials.
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.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
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.
Part of the team of the Kyiv Independent posing for a photo in the newsroom in August 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
The Kyiv Independent joined the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a global network of investigative newsrooms, as a member center.
OCCRP is an independent award-winning non-profit organization launched in 2006 by journalists Drew Sullivan and Paul Radu. The network unites dozens of media outlets from across continents.
“We are honored to become a member center of OCCRP, an organization we deeply respect and appreciate,” said Olga Rudenko, chief editor of the Kyiv Independent. “When we launched the Kyiv Independent, we saw investigative journalism as an essential part of it, and joining OCCRP is a logical and much-anticipated step for us. We believe that investigative reporting has an especially important role now, when Ukraine is fighting for its survival, and will become absolutely essential when covering the reconstruction of Ukraine.”
“I am excited about an opportunity to do joint projects with the OCCRP, a team of talented and skillful people I've known for a while. I am positive that there are many great stories ahead of us,” said Anna Myroniuk, head of investigations at the Kyiv Independent. “The Kyiv Independent shares OCCRP's belief that collaborative cross-border journalism amplifies the impact of reporting.”
The Kyiv Independent became the second member center of OCCRP in Ukraine, the first being Slidstvo.Info.
The Kyiv Independent has two departments dedicated to investigative journalism. One is the general investigative desk, launched in August 2022. Another one is specifically focused on Russian war crimes and was launched in March.
Since August last year, the Kyiv Independent has published seven investigations. Among them is the story exposing the Russian disinformation network in the United States, the story revealing that European arms brokers drove prices up amid the war in Ukraine, and an expose of Russian plans to exert influence on neighboring countries like Belarus and Moldova.
The Kyiv Independent’s two-part series investigating the leadership misconduct in the International Legion of Ukraine won the prestigious #AllForJan Award 2023, was shortlisted for the European Press Prize 2023, and Ukraine’s National Investigative Journalism Award 2022.
In December, the Kyiv Independent launched a weekly newsletter, Investigative Stories From Ukraine, which summarizes findings of investigative journalists in Ukraine and beyond.
To support our investigative journalism, become a patron of the Kyiv Independent.
Note from the editor: The Kyiv Independent is hiring! Apply here to join our investigative desk.
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.
