NASA astronaut on Russian colleagues backing war against Ukraine
The Kyiv Independent's Kollen Post sits down with retired U.S. astronaut Col. Terry W. Virts to discuss his time aboard the International Space Station alongside Russian colleagues in 2014–2015, during Russia's annexation of Crimea and invasion of Ukraine's eastern regions. Virts shares personal recollections of how his crewmates fell under the sway of Russian propaganda — and why he believes space missions should remain above politics.
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22 minutes ago
Ukraine-Russia peace talks to resume in Istanbul after surprise drone attack
LONDON -- Ukrainian and Russian delegations are set to meet again in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday to take part in the next round of U.S.-brokered peace talks intended to end Russia's 3-year-old invasion of its neighbor. Revived talks so far have failed to reach a peace deal, or even achieve a sustained ceasefire, despite pressure on both sides by President Donald Trump's administration. The last meeting between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul in mid-May was the first direct contact between the two sides since spring 2022. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday, according to a readout published by the State Department -- which said the call took place "at Russia's request." "Secretary Rubio reiterated President Trump's call for continued direct talks between Russia and Ukraine to achieve a lasting peace," the State Department said. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the two men "exchanged views on various initiatives concerning the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis." Ukraine is calling for a full 30-day ceasefire during which time peace negotiations can take place. Russia has refused the request, with President Vladimir Putin and his top officials retaining maximalist war goals dating back to the opening days of the Russian invasion. Among the Kremlin's demands are the annexation of four Ukrainian regions -- plus the retention of Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014 -- Ukrainian demilitarization and a permanent block on the country's accession to NATO. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Sunday social media post that Kyiv's delegation will be led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. The president set out Ukraine's goals for the meeting. "First -- a full and unconditional ceasefire," he wrote. "Second -- the release of prisoners. Third -- the return of abducted children. And in order to establish a reliable and lasting peace and ensure security, preparation of the meeting at the highest level." Zelenskyy and his government have repeatedly accused Putin of intentionally sabotaging peace talks since Trump returned to office in January, having promised on the campaign trail to end the war within 24 hours. Trump's threat of further sanctions on Russia do not appear to have softened the Kremlin's war goals. Zelenskyy and his European backers have pushed Trump to increase pressure on Putin by introducing new sanctions on Russia and providing Ukraine with more military support. Keith Kellogg, Trump's Ukraine-Russia envoy, hinted at the president's growing frustration with Moscow, telling ABC News last week that the president has "seen a level of unreasonableness that really frustrates him." In a phone conversation with Trump in May, Putin said Russia would provide a "peace memorandum" outlining a possible settlement. Moscow is yet to provide the document. Vladimir Medinsky -- a Putin aide and long-time member of Russia's negotiating team -- said Sunday that the Russian team had received Ukraine's version of the peace memorandum. Since the last round of talks in Istanbul, Trump has hit out at Putin -- calling him "absolutely crazy" -- and again criticized Zelenskyy, saying of the Ukrainian leader, "Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop." Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament representing Zelenskyy's party and the chair of the body's foreign affairs committee, told ABC News, "Russia's primary goal is to avoid sanctions by pretending that it negotiates." "Putin is not interested in negotiations and ceasefire, because he hopes to start an offensive during summer," Merezhko added. "On the one hand, he imitates negotiations to avoid Trump's sanctions and simultaneously to demonstrate that Russia is not politically isolated. Yet, on the other hand, Putin hopes that if Trump will decide to withdraw from the negotiations, he will leave Ukraine without military support, one-on-one with Russia." The talks come a day after Ukraine launched one of the most stunning attacks of the war. In what a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told ABC News was an operation one and a half years in the making, operatives used attack drones concealed in containers carried by trucks to attack strategic bomber bases deep inside Russian territory. Moscow has used long-range bombers and their cruise missile armaments to attack Ukrainian cities throughout the full-scale invasion. The SBU claimed to have hit more than 40 military aircraft in the attacks, which targeted multiple air bases thousands of miles from Ukrainian-controlled territory. Russia's Defense Ministry framed the operation as "a terrorist attack," claiming that the strikes were "repelled" in three regions, but noting that several aircraft caught fire at airfields during the attacks in Irkutsk and Murmansk -- videos of which the SBU published. Also on Sunday, Russian authorities reported the collapse of two railway bridges and derailment of two trains in regions bordering Ukraine, which they blamed on "explosions." At least seven people were killed, authorities said. In an address on Sunday, Zelenskyy called the Ukrainian drone attack a "brilliant operation" and said Russia "suffered truly significant losses." The president framed the attack as a defensive measure. "We will defend ourselves by all means available to us," Zelenskyy said. "Not for a single second did we want this war. We offered the Russians a ceasefire. Since March 11, the U.S. proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire has been on the table. It was the Russians who chose to continue the war." "Pressure is truly needed -- pressure on Russia that should bring it back to reality," Zelenskyy added. "Pressure through sanctions. Pressure from our forces. Pressure through diplomacy. All of it must work together." Meanwhile, long-range drone and missile attacks continued overnight into Monday morning. Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 80 drones and four missiles into the country overnight, of which 52 were shot down or neutralized. The air force reported impacts in 12 locations. Russia's Defense Ministry said it shot down 162 Ukrainian drones over nine Russian regions overnight.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Russian aerial bomb attack on Donetsk Oblast kills woman and damages houses, power lines and gas pipeline
A local woman has been killed in a Russian airstrike using FAB-250 bombs on residential areas in the city of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast. Source: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office on Facebook Quote: "On 1 June 2025, at 21:35, the Russian forces launched three airstrikes with FAB-500 aerial bombs equipped with a Unified Gliding and Correction Module (UMPK) on Kostiantynivka. Residential areas were hit." Details: A 60-year-old woman was killed in her home during the attack and four more civilians – two men aged 33 and 83 and two women aged 73 and 78 – sustained injuries. They were diagnosed with blast and traumatic brain injuries, shrapnel wounds, multiple bruises, fractures and burns. They received medical treatment, and doctors assessed the condition of three of them to be moderate. A total of 26 residential properties were damaged, along with power lines, a gas pipeline and several vehicles. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Ukraine and Russia meet in Turkey for peace talks with few hopes for a breakthrough
ISTANBUL (AP) — Delegations from Russia and Ukraine gathered in Turkey on Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks, although expectations were low for any significant progress on ending the three-year war. The Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was in Istanbul for the meeting, Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said in a message posted on the Ukrainian Embassy WhatsApp group. The Russian delegation headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, arrived Sunday evening, Russian state media reported. Turkish officials said the meeting would start at 1 p.m. local time, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan presiding over the talks and officials from the Turkish intelligence agency also present. However, Ukrainian spokesperson Tykhyi said the start would be at midday local time. It was not immediately possible to clarify the discrepancy. Recent comments by senior officials in both countries indicate they remain far apart on the key conditions for stopping the war. Fierce fighting has in the meantime continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, and both sides have hit each other's territory with deep strikes. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack destroyed more than 40 Russian planes deep inside Russia, Ukraine's Security Service said, while Moscow pounded Ukraine with missiles and drones. Russian air defenses downed 162 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions overnight, as well as over the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, Russia's Defense Ministry said Monday. Ukrainian air defenses damaged 52 out of 80 drones launched by Russia overnight, the Ukrainian air force said. Two ballistic missiles struck a residential neighborhood in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Monday morning, including one that hit near a school, the city's mayor said. One missile landed near an apartment building, while the second struck a road near the school, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a statement and published a photo of a wide crater. 'Standing next to the crater, you realize how different it all could have been,' Terekhov wrote. 'A few more meters — and it would have hit the building. A few more minutes — and cars, buses would have been on the road.' No casualties were reported. ___ Associated Press writers Suzan Frazer in Ankara, Turkey, and Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
