🇨🇿 Czech FM Jan Lipavský welcomed Ukraine’s strikes on Russian airfields, saying it's in Europe’s security interest to have a strong, well-armed Ukraine. He added he now expects Russian strategic aircraft to violate NATO airspace “30% less.”

❗️Talks between Ukraine and Russia will begin at 13:00, according to Turkey’s Foreign Ministry via Anadolu. The Ukrainian delegation has already arrived in Istanbul.

Russia has developed a new paranoia: trucks. Long queues are forming as authorities now inspect cargo vehicles thoroughly.

According to Russian sources, drivers of trucks allegedly used to launch Ukrainian drones toward military airfields have been interrogated. One claimed his truck carried prefab houses from Chelyabinsk to Murmansk. En route, unknown callers instructed him where and when to stop—at one such stop, drones reportedly launched.

An air raid alert has been activated at military facilities in occupied Sevastopol. Russian monitoring channels report anticipation of incoming Ukrainian UAVs.

Ukrainian drones were spotted over Yevpatoria, occupied Crimea.

Russian monitoring channels report that possible Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG missiles are heading for the direction of occupied Mariupol and Taganrog.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has landed in Istanbul ahead of negotiations. He was greeted by Ukraine’s ambassador to Turkey, Nariman Dzhelyal, who not long ago was freed from Russian captivity after being held as a political prisoner.

The Russian delegation, led by Vladimir Medinsky, has left their hotel in Istanbul and is en route to the venue where talks with Ukraine are set to take place.

SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk spoke about Operation Spiderweb, saying 41 Russian strategic planes at 4 airbases were hit—about a third of their missile carriers. The mission took over 1.5 years to prepare and used drones hidden under mobile homes. He called it a historic, legal strike and promised Ukraine will keep defending and fighting back.

"The enemy thought they could bomb Ukraine and kill Ukrainians with impunity and endlessly. But that's not the case. We will respond to Russian terror and destroy the enemy everywhere – at sea, in the air, and on land. And if needed, we'll reach them even underground," he added.

Residents of Russia’s Irkutsk region report multi-kilometer traffic jams caused by police inspections of trucks suspected of transporting drones.

❗️ President Zelensky expressed doubts about Russia’s readiness for productive talks in Istanbul. “Our team is preparing for the meeting. I’m not sure Russia will be ready for constructive discussions, but we must always hope for solutions,” he said after arriving in Vilnius.

"We have stronger tactical solutions, our operation 'Spiderweb' yesterday proved it. Russia must feel what these losses mean, that will push it towards diplomacy," Zelensky said in Vilnius.

"If Russia does not want a solution via diplomacy, new, strong sanctions are needed," he added.

🇺🇦🇩🇪🇬🇧🇮🇹 Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul met with representatives from Germany, Italy, and the UK, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Heorhii Tykhyi confirmed. First Deputy FM Serhiy Kyslytsya and delegate Oleksandr Bevz attended. Positions were aligned ahead of today’s talks with Russia.

Chelburda, occupied Kherson region: Russian forces engaged in reckless driving with military vehicles, resulting in collisions.

🇹🇷 Rumor: Turkish officials reportedly required journalists covering the Russia-Ukraine talks to hand over their mobile phones for safekeeping.

🔔 Second round of Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul is about to start. Ukraine has already submitted its memorandum, while Russia remains vague and insists on discussing its memorandum behind closed doors.

🇩🇪 Annalena Baerbock to become President of the UN General Assembly on June 2, 2025, with ambitions to reform the organization. She aims to reduce redundancies, increase transparency, and strengthen the Assembly's role in selecting the UN Secretary-General. Russia, Belarus, and Serbia oppose her election, citing alleged bias.