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).
Ukrainian Air Force's Sukhoi Su-27 jets fly over the Ozerne airbase on Dec. 6, 2018 (Sergei Supinsky/AFP)
Ukraine's Air Force struck the Pogar border checkpoint in Russia's Bryansk Oblast on March 27, destroying its military infrastructure and killing dozens of Russian troops, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on March 28.
Ukraine has repeatedly recorded drone launches from the area of the Pogar checkpoint, and its destruction reduces Russia's ability to threaten Ukrainian forces in the Sumy and Kursk oblasts, according to the statement.
"As a result of the attack, the military infrastructure of the checkpoint was destroyed, along with means of communication and electronic warfare, as well as video surveillance system and other technical means," the General Staff said.
Between 15 and 40 Russian soldiers were reportedly killed in the strike.
The Pogar checkpoint lies close to the village of Sluchovsk, just across the border with Ukraine's northeastern Chernihiv Oblast.
"This airstrike was a response to the cynical actions" of the Russian military, "which continues terror against Ukraine by daily launching dozens of strike drones into populated areas, destroying civilian infrastructure and residential buildings, and killing peaceful Ukrainian citizens," the statement read.
Russia targets Ukraine with mass drone strikes on a daily basis, inflicting civilian casualties despite the partial truce on attacks against energy infrastructure and naval operations agreed on March 25.
Kyiv had previously agreed with the U.S. on a full 30-day ceasefire, but Moscow rejected this proposal.
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.
Kateryna Denisova
