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.
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.
Ukrainian law enforcement agents charged a platoon commander of Ukraine's 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade with abuse of authority on Dec. 26 accusing the individual of beating and humiliating subordinates, including ordering subordinates to tie the victim to a wooden cross. Although authorities did not name the accused, Ukrainian media reported that the individual in question was Vladyslav Pastukh. (Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation/web)
Ukrainian law enforcement agents have charged a platoon commander of Ukraine's 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade with abuse of authority, accusing the individual of beating and humiliating subordinates, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on Dec. 26.
Although authorities did not name the accused, Ukrainian media reported that the individual in question was Vladyslav Pastukh.
According to officials, the accused allegedly beat at least three soldier while serving along the front line between February and May 2024.
In one instance, after finding another soldier intoxicated, the accused kicked the soldier in the face as well as other parts of his body. In a separate instance, the commander ordered subordinates to tie the victim to a wooden cross, where the soldier was immobilized for four hours.
In another incident, the commander "beat another soldier over a dispute over the publication of a video recording on the internet about inadequate living conditions," the Prosecutor General's Office alleged. While a separate alleged assault occurred when a subordinate addressed the commander "inappropriately."
The accused has been charged with "abuse of authority by a military official" under Ukraine's Criminal Code, Hromadske reported, as well as two other charges related to desertion. The commander faces up to 12 years in prison, if convicted.
Pastukh was previously named in an investigation by Ukrainska Pravda that reported officers of 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade had beaten service members, extorted money from them, and tied one soldier to a wooden cross as a punishment.
Pastukh's godfather and commander of the brigade, Colonel Oleh Poberezhniuk, was taken into custody and charged with abuse of power on Dec. 19 for allegedly making four of his subordinates help him build his house in Khmelnytskyi Oblast in the fall of 2023.
The 211th Brigade, formed in August 2023, performs engineering work, builds defenses in the rear, and does not participate in direct combat.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Kateryna Denisova
