This is the case on Thursday, May 15:
struggle
- Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday that Russia's missile strike targeted Ukrainian northeastern city Sumy, killing at least three people.
- Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said that around 35 areas, including Kherson, were "terror" and shelling of Russian drones, injured at least nine people, from Wednesday to Thursday.
- The Russian Ministry of Defense said the air defense system shot down two Ukrainian drones overnight in the Rostov and Belgorod areas.
diplomatic
- Ukraine and Russia will hold direct talks on Thursday for the first time since the war began in 2022.
- The two sides are expected to discuss a 30-day ceasefire and a possible prisoner exchange.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin was not listed in the meetings of the Moscow delegation, although the leaders raised discussions last week.
- Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Director of the Russian GRU Military Intelligence Agency, and Igor Kostyukov, Director of the Russian GRU Military Intelligence Agency, are part of the Russian delegation.
- After the Kremlin announced the news, a U.S. official said President Donald Trump would not attend the meeting either.
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Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Putin sent a low-level delegation to Turkiye for negotiations "like a slap".
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Ukrainian rival Andrii Sybiha outside the court at a NATO summit.
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NATO chief Mark Rutte said he was "cautiously optimistic" about the progress of Ukraine's peace, but it depends on Russia taking "the next necessary steps". "If the Russians are willing to play, not only the Ukrainians are doing that... you can make some breakthroughs in the next few weeks," he said at the NATO summit.
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Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze said they saw no signs that Russia wants peace in Ukraine. "Destroying Russia's military capabilities is the most direct and cheapest way to achieve peace," he told reporters in Turkiye.
- On Wednesday, the EU approved a new sanctions plan against Russia to knock down its "shadow" oil fleet.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Ukraine cannot have any transactions, which is Russia's "order peace".