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.
A sign reads "Belgorod, the city of military glory" at the entrance to the Russian city of Belgorod, some 40 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, May 28, 2023. (Olga Maltseva / AFP via Getty Images)
Russian air defense units shot down multiple targets over Belgorod Oblast on Jan. 3, Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed.
The city of Belgorod lies about 40 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. A Dec. 30 attack on the city killed 24 people and injured over 100 others. Russia attributed the attack to Ukraine, though Kyiv has not claimed responsibility.
Gladkov said air defense units intercepted multiple "targets" on Jan. 3, though he did not specify what the targets were.
"Our air defense system worked over Belgorod and the Belgorod district — several aerial targets were shot down on the approach to the city," he said shortly after 5 a.m. local time.
He later announced that a missile warning was activated throughout Belgorod and warned residents to seek shelter.
For the past five days, Russian forces have launched waves of large-scale missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities, targeting residential areas and critical infrastructure.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said on Jan. 1 that Russia would intensify attacks in retaliation for the strike on Belgorod.
During the latest round of attacks against Ukraine on Jan. 2, a Russian missile struck the Russian village of Petropavlovka in Voronezh Oblast, which borders Belgorod Oblast and Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that six buildings were damaged and that there were no casualties.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Alexander Query
