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 soldier of the Ukrainian army fires a mortar on November 1, 2023 in Kupiansk, Ukraine. (Kostya Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
Russia is trying to capture the village of Synkivka in Kharkiv Oblast, hoping to pave the way for the blockade of nearby Kupiansk, Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on Dec. 11.
Moscow has been concentrating a large force at the Kupiansk-Lyman axis in northeastern Ukraine since the summer, and heavy engagements and shelling have been a common occurrence.
Russian forces suffered heavy losses in its recent attacks against Synkivka and begun to move reserve assault units to the sector, Syrskyi noted.
Further along the Kupiansk-Lyman axis, Moscow's troops are reportedly attempting to push Ukrainian defenders behind the Chornyi Zherebets River and from the Serebrianskyi Forest.
Russia is also redeploying troops from Russia to reinforce attacks in the directions of Zhytlivka and Terny, two villages near the administrative border of the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, Syrskyi reported.
Moscow is further concentrating "considerable efforts" north and west of Bakhmut, deploying airborne troops, marines, and special forces, the commander said.
A surge in Russian activity has also been recorded near the besieged town of Avdiivka.
Russian troops are attempting to advance in the south and north of Avdiivka, backed up by tanks and armored vehicles as "fierce battles continue," Oleksandr Shtupun, the spokesman for the Tavria group of forces, said on air on Dec. 11.
Syrskyi noted on Dec. 10 that Russian troops continue offensive operations across the entire eastern front line.
The general added that he and other commanders holding the defense on the eastern front "thoroughly analyzed the situation and considered options for further actions."
According to Syrskyi, Russian losses in the east are roughly eight times higher than those of Ukraine. Moscow lost more than 1,100 pieces of military equipment in November alone, including 130 tanks and 260 artillery systems, the general added.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Vitalii Poberezhnyi
