This week, the world watched in anticipation for Russia’s Victory Day parade after President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that he could not guarantee the safety of those attending. Meanwhile, the European Union moves one step forward to banning Russian gas from the European continent. It is also revealed this week that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has fallen out of step with the White House.
"(Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin... doesn't want to have a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the bloodbath. Ukraine should agree to this, immediately," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to to Antalya, Turkey, for a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting from May 14–16, where he is expected to address the war in Ukraine and push for stronger Allied defense commitments.
The Kremlin said the leaders held a detailed discussion about the Russian initiative and Erdogan expressed full support, reiterating Turkey’s readiness to provide a venue and assist in organizing the negotiations.
Erdogan told Macron that international cooperation is critical for initiating peace negotiations and the "sensitive implementation" of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction processes, the Turkish Presidency reported.
The assault began around 2 a.m. on May 11, with Russian forces deploying 108 Shahed-type attack drones and decoy UAVs from multiple directions, Ukraine’s Air Force said.
"Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending 'bloodbath' hopefully comes to an end... I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens."
A Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft on the tarmac during the 2023 Dubai Airshow on Nov. 13, 2023. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Giuseppe Cacace / AFP via Getty Images)
Russia has lost five of its 18 Il-76 MD-90A aircraft due to poor-quality wheel bearings, the state-run media outlet Kommersant and the independent publication Important Stories reported on July 19.
Il-76 planes are military aircraft designed for the transportation of troops and cargo.
Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation against the Balashikhinsky Foundry and Mechanical Plant (BLMZ), the company that supplied the failed parts.
Investigators allege that BLMZ purchased the bearings from an unknown manufacturer using forged documents and transferred them to the Russian firm Aviastar for the production of Il-76 planes.
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WTF is wrong with Russia?
The poorly made bearings caused problems with the landing gear, disabling five aircraft. The Russian Defense Ministry had 18 Il-76 planes at the end of 2023, according to open source data obtained by Important Stories.
The Investigative Committee said BLMZ caused "substantial harm" to the Russian Defense Ministry and the state's security interests.
Sanctions against Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine have prohibited the export of aviation-related technology and spare parts, radically transforming the country's aviation industry and increasing the incidences of accidents and emergency landings.
An Il-76 plane crashed in central Russia on March 12, reportedly killing all 15 on board.
Martin Fornusek
