Russia’s Vladimir Medinsky and Ukraine’s Rustem Umerov have held a one-on-one meeting in Istanbul, Russian state news agency Interfax says. Meanwhile, at home, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is facing the first major protest against his government since the war began. Follow the latest.
Wednesday 23 July 2025 18:41, UK
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We’re now hearing from Russian state media agency Tass that the wider peace talks have begun between the two delegations in Istanbul.
Earlier, the two heads of the delegations, Russia’s Vladimir Medinsky and Ukraine’s Rustem Umerov, reportedly held a one-on-one meeting.
Russia’s Vladimir Medinsky and Ukraine’s Rustem Umerov have held a one-on-one meeting in Istanbul, Russian state news agency Interfax says.
The two men are leading the delegations from their respective countries at the third round of peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv.
EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has reportedly demanded answers from Volodymyr Zelenskyy over Ukraine’s anti-corruption bill.
Passed last night, the bill, which tightens oversight of two anti-corruption agencies, has sparked the first major demonstration against Zelenskyy’s government since Russia’s invasion began in 2022.
Top EU leadership has now urged Zelenskyy to prove he is still committed to European democratic values, with the bill undermining Ukraine’s bid to join the bloc.
Guillaume Mercier, European Commission spokesperson, told POLITICO that, in a call with Zelenskyy, von der Leyen “conveyed her strong concerns about the consequences of the amendments, and she requested the Ukrainian government for explanations”.
“The respect for the rule of law and the fight against corruption are core elements of the European Union. As a candidate country, Ukraine is expected to uphold these standards fully. There cannot be a compromise,” Mercier added.
In another explicit warning, Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul wrote on X on that “limiting the independence of anti-corruption agencies hampers Ukraine’s way towards the EU”.
The third round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are set to get under way shortly in Turkey.
A Turkish foreign ministry source said the meeting – at Ciragan Palace in Istanbul – is expected to start at 5pm UK time.
Previous talks on 16 May and 2 June led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers.
Those meetings lasted less than three hours in total, and made no breakthrough towards ending the war.
And as a reminder, the Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov, speaking yesterday, said there is “no reason to expect any breakthroughs in the category of miracles”.
We’ll bring you any news we get from the talks right here, so stay tuned.
Authorities have arrested a suspected administrator for Russian language cybercrime forum XSS.is.
The person – whose name has not been revealed – was thought to have eared more than €7m (£6.06m) through the forum.
The French public prosecutor’s office and the pan-European police body Europol said today the person was arrested in Kyiv yesterday.
“The forum’s administrator was not only a technical operator, but is believed to have played a central role in enabling criminal activity,” Europol said.
“Acting as a trusted third party, he arbitrated disputes between criminals and guaranteed the security of transactions.
“He is also believed to have run thesecure.biz, a private messaging service tailored to the needs of the cybercriminal underground,” it added.
Europol said the forum has more than 50,000 users and serves as a marketplace for stolen data and hacking tools.
While Ukrainian and Russian delegations prepare for a new round of talks in Turkey this evening, cross-border attacks have continued.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said “recovery efforts” were under way in the northern Sumy region following a Russian drone strike.
“Russian drones struck energy infrastructure,” he said in a post on social media.
“Due to the damage to facilities, more than 220,000 consumers in the Sumy region were left without electricity – that’s hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian families.”
Most of the supply has been restored, he added.
“And today, during negotiations in Türkiye [Turkey], the representatives of Ukraine will once again insist on the need for an urgent and complete ceasefire, including a halt to such strikes on civilian infrastructure,” he wrote.
Here’s a look at the latest battlefield maps in Ukraine.
Scroll through the maps below to view different parts of Ukraine, including the situation in key regions such as Luhansk, Donetsk, Kursk and Belgorod.
We’ve been reporting on Ukraine’s anti-corruption bill, passed last night amid widespread protests.
It has sparked the first major demonstration against Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
The law tightens government oversight of two key anti-corruption agencies.
Critics say this undermines their independence, while granting Zelenskyy’s circle more influence over investigations.
Here’s what you need to know…
First – the anti-corruption agencies
At the heart of the bill are the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
Both were set up after a 2014 revolution toppled a pro-Russian president and set Kyiv on a Western course.
They are responsible for weeding out high-level graft, which is a central requirement for Ukraine to receive Western aid and to join the EU.
Both agencies have stepped up their work during the war, bringing charges against politicians, senior government officials and a former deputy head of Zelenskyy’s administration.
Last month, they accused a deputy prime minister of accepting a $345,000 (£254,000) kickback.
Officials did not name the minister, one of five deputy prime ministers, who they suspect of abusing power by approving the development of state-owned land in a scheme that would have led to a loss for the state of around $24 million (£17.7m).
So, why are their powers being curbed?
Zelenskyy says these agencies need to be “cleansed” of Russian influence and their work strengthened and sped up.
A day earlier, Kyiv’s domestic security agency arrested two NABU officials on suspicion of ties to Russia.
In a move described by critics as excessive, authorities also conducted sweeping searches into agency employees.
The new measures, fast-tracked in large part by Zelenskyy’s ruling party, are said to empower the general prosecutor to transfer cases away from the agencies and re-assign prosecutors.
Critics have alleged the crackdown is a politically motivated response to their work.
How has the West reacted?
Following the vote, the EU’s enlargement commissioner said she is “seriously concerned” about the measures.
Earlier today, Germany’s foreign minister warned Kyiv against hampering its path to the EU.
At home, thousands of Ukrainians rallied in Kyiv just steps away from the site of the 2014 uprising – itself sparked by a democratic rollback.
Fighting corruption and embracing the West – especially since Moscow’s 2022 invasion – are seen as critical to erasing a legacy of Russian rule.
Some Ukrainians are furious at signs of corruption and misrule.
“My brother didn’t die for this kind of future,” read one placard at the Kyiv protest.
A Ukrainian team has arrived in Turkey for talks with Russian counterparts, according to a diplomatic source.
We reported earlier that the Russian side is on its way to Istanbul, even as the Kremlin continues to play down any expectations of a breakthrough – see 11.07 post.
The source, however, added Kyiv is ready to take significant steps towards peace and a full ceasefire, Reuters news agency reports.
More than 150 vessels and 15,000 military personnel are involved in Russia’s latest navy drills, which have kicked off today.
The so-called “July Storm” exercise will run until Sunday in the Pacific and Arctic oceans and in the Baltic and Caspian seas.
The Russian defence ministry added the drills will test the readiness for non-standard operations, the use of long-range weapons and other advanced technology.
“At sea, the crews of the ships will practice deployment to combat areas, conducting anti-submarine operations, defending areas of deployment and economic activity,” the ministry said.
The drills will also practice “repelling attacks by air attack weapons, unmanned boats and enemy drones, ensuring the safety of navigation, striking enemy targets”.
More than 120 aircraft are taking part and 10 coastal missile systems, the ministry added.
Russia has the world’s third most powerful navy after China and the US, according to most public rankings.
But the navy has suffered a series of high-profile losses in the Ukraine war.
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