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 school in Odesa, Ukraine, damaged by Russia's missile and drone attack on Aug. 14, 2023. (Odesa City Council/Telegram)
As of 11 a.m. local time, damages to 203 buildings were recorded in Odesa as a result of Russia’s overnight aerial attack, the Odesa City Council reported on Aug. 14.
Among the damaged buildings were seven educational institutions, including a cultural heritage site, and four medical facilities, the local authorities wrote.
Russia launched 15 Shahed-136/131 drones and eight Kalibr cruise missiles at Odesa on Aug. 14 night, the Air Force reported, saying that all the aerial targets were shot down.
Ukrainian authorities and the military said the damages were caused by falling missile debris resulting in fires as well as blast waves. The attacks also injured three civilians, according to the regional governor.
However, some commentators speculated that such level of destruction seen particularly in photos depicting local supermarket Fozzy appears to have been caused by a direct hit by a drone or a missile.
In a comment for the Ukrainian outlet Babel, the Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat reiterated that the air defenses downed all the targets, adding that Fozzy was destroyed because of a large-scale fire.
Shahed drones fly at low altitudes and create “a very large” scattering of burning debris when they are shot down, causing an especially destructive blast wave, Ihnat explained.
The air defense forces had no choice but to shoot down the Kalibr missiles "just above the city, above residential areas," the Southern Command spokesperson Natalia Humeniuk said on national television, cited by Hromadske.
Following Moscow’s unilateral withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Agreement, Russian forces have intensified attacks against Ukraine’s southern city of Odesa, targeting critical port and grain infrastructure.
The July strikes also damaged Odesa’s historical center, which was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in January 2023.
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.
Alexander Khrebet
