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.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko's statement came as Strong Shield 5 exercises involving military personnel from other NATO countries began in Lithuania.
"Amendments to the Budget Code are needed to implement the provisions on funding the U.S.-Ukrainian Reconstruction Investment Fund," lawmaker Roksolana Pidlasa said.
During reconnaissance in an unspecified front-line sector, Special Operations Forces' operators detected Buk-M3 and Uragan-1 on combat duty, the unit said.
The suspect quit his job at the Rivne NPP before the full-scale war began. In the spring of 2025, a GRU liaison contacted him and offered cooperation in exchange for money.
A Russian weapons system explodes after being hit by a Ukrainian drone in an unspecified location during Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Footage published on May 13, 2025. (Special Operations Forces/Telegram)
Ukrainian Special Operations Forces' attack drones destroyed a Russian Buk-M3 anti-aircraft missile system and a Uragan-1 multiple launch rocket system (MLSR), the military branch reported on May 13.
During reconnaissance in an unspecified front-line sector, Special Operations Forces' operators detected the Buk-M3 and the Uragan-1 on combat duty, the unit said.
Ukrainian forces then launched attack drones and hit the targets, destroying the Buk-M3 system with an estimated value of $45 million, as well as its ammunition. The statement did not specify the time of the attack.
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This video, shared by Ukraine's Special Operations Forces on May 13, 2025, shows Ukrainian forces destroying the Russian Buk-M3 anti-aircraft missile system and Uragan-1 multiple launch rocket system. (Special Operations Forces/Telegram)
The Buk-M3 is one of Russia's key air defense assets, used to engage targets in the air, on the ground, and on the water, according to Ukraine's Special Operations Forces.
The Soviet-era Buk surface-to-air missile systems are used both by Ukraine and Russia.
Ukraine inherited Buk anti-aircraft systems from the Soviet Union, but the weapons typically use Russian-produced missiles. In 2023, Ukraine announced it had converted the systems to fire U.S. missiles.
The Uragan-1 is a Russian multi-caliber rocket launcher with the ability to swap launch containers. It operates with calibers of 200 and 300 mm.
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.
Asami Terajima
