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."
Police tape off an area as debris lies on a road after Kyiv came under attack from both drones and missiles on May 29, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Paula Bronstein via Getty Images)
Editor's note
The previous version of this news item said that one person was killed as a result of drone debris falling onto residential buildings in Kyiv. Later on July 13, the State Emergency Service told Suspilne news outlet that the death, initially reported by the city mayor, resulted from a separate fire unrelated to the Russian drone attack.
Ukraine’s air defenses shot down all 20 Shahed-136/131 drones launched by Russian forces overnight on July 13, the Air Force reported.
Russia also used two Kalibr cruise missiles and one Iskander-M ballistic missile to attack Ukraine, according to the Air Force. The Ukrainian military destroyed the Kalibr missiles while the consequences of the Iskander-M launch are being clarified.
Russian troops carried out the air attacks from the Russian cities of Kursk and Primorsko-Akhtarsk as well as occupied Crimea, adds the report.
About a dozen kamikaze drones were destroyed in Kyiv’s airspace, followed by drone debris falling onto residential buildings, the Kyiv City Military Administration wrote. At least four people were wounded in the attack, according to Kyiv authorities.
Mykolaiv Oblast Governor Vitalii Kim reported that a Russian Kalibr missile and four Shahed drones had been shot down over his region.
Missile remains damaged an education facility and ten houses in one of Mykolaiv Oblast settlements, but there were no casualties, Kim said on Telegram.
Another Iranian-made Shahed drone was shot down over Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, according to the regional governor. There were no casualties or damages in the region.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
Anna Myroniuk
