11 more Ukrainian Children have been returned from Russian-occupied territories

Eleven more Ukrainian children have been rescued from Russian-occupied territories as part of the "Bring Kids Back UA" initiative, presidential advisor Daria Zarivna reported on May 28.

Among them is a girl whose mother and brother, both Azovstal defenders, were held in Russian captivity for over three years. A teenage boy, nearly conscripted into the Russian army, was also freed after being tortured and held in a basement. Another child was reunited with his father and brother, both Ukrainian soldiers.

This mission follows the May 22 return of nine children who had suffered severe abuse in captivity. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has identified over 19,500 forcibly deported children; only around 1,300 have been returned.

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Russian officials over the deportations, which the EU Parliament recently called a "genocidal strategy." U.S. lawmakers have demanded no peace deal be made until all abducted children are returned. Ukraine insists their return is essential to any future negotiations.

Russia aims to produce 500 drones per day - Zelensky

Russia is working to produce up to 500 drones per day, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 27, citing increased production supported by Chinese components and low-skilled labor, including teenagers and workers from Africa.

Currently, Russia can manufacture 300–350 drones daily and aims to scale up. Zelensky doubts Moscow could launch 1,000 drones in one strike, but acknowledged it may become possible over time.

Ukraine, he noted, can already launch up to 100 long-range drones daily and could match Russia's output with more financial support. “We are very close to it. The issue is not production capacity. It is a financial issue,” he said.

Zelensky highlighted a recent Ukrainian operation that used 400 small drones to destroy 40 pieces of Russian hardware, adding, “We will show them much more.”

Ukraine more than doubled long-range drone production in 2024, a 22-fold increase since 2022, and developed 324 new types of weapons by the end of last year. Kyiv is also expanding domestic arms production to reduce dependence on foreign supplies.

Russia proposes to hold next round of talks with Ukraine on 2 June in Istanbul

Russia has proposed holding a second round of negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on June 2, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, according to TASS.

Lavrov claimed that Moscow had "promptly" prepared a memorandum outlining its position on addressing what it calls the "root causes" of the conflict. He said Russia’s delegation, led by Vladimir Medinsky, is ready to present the document to Ukraine during the proposed talks.