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.
The footage, shared by Ukraine's General Staff, purported to show the aftermath of Ukraine's attack on Russia's Kursk Oblast. (General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces)
Ukrainian forces have struck a number of traction substations in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ukraine's General Staff said on July 29.
In recent days, Russian authorities claimed drone attacks on the region. According to Russia's Defense Ministry, 19 drones were shot down over Kursk Oblast last night.
While Russia's air defense was allegedly active, explosions were reported near at least four substations, Ukraine's military said. After the attack, power outages were reported in the Ponyrovsky, Solntsevsky and Kursky districts of Kursk Oblast.
The attacks were carried out by the Special Service of Ukraine's (SBU) Special Operations Center, along with other components of the Defense Forces, according to the statement.
"Russian industry that works for the war against Ukraine is a legitimate target for our troops," the General Staff said.
"These facilities, among other things, ensure the functioning of the Russian railway, which transports weapons and military equipment to support its occupation army."
Overnight on July 28, the SBU, in cooperation with the Ukrainian military, hit the Polyova oil depot in Kursk Oblast, the General Staff confirmed.
Kursk Oblast lies on the border with Ukraine's Sumy Oblast. In recent months, Ukrainian forces have been regularly attacking military facilities and infrastructure in Russian regions bordering Ukraine.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Dominic Culverwell
