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."
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce called for "concrete proposals from both sides" in order for Washington to "move forward" in peace negotiations.
"If they speak to each other in Russian, he doesn't know what they are saying," one Western official told NBC News. Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, called Witkoff's approach "a very bad idea."
Tougher sanctions "should be applied to (Russia's) banking and energy sectors, targeting fossil fuels, oil, and the shadow fleet," the leaders of Ukraine, the U.K., France, Germany, and Poland said in a joint statement.
"Russia is ready for negotiations without any preconditions," Putin claimed in an address marking the end of the three-day Victory Day ceasefire. He invited Ukraine to begin talks in Istanbul on May 15.
While serving as a bishop in Peru, Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, called the full-scale war "a true invasion, imperialist in nature, where Russia seeks to conquer territory for reasons of power."
Speaking to CNN on May 10, Peskov commented on the latest ceasefire proposal from Ukraine and Europe, responding that Russia needs to "think about" it, but is "resistant" to pressure.
Infantrymen of the 110th Territorial Defense Brigade practice shooting at a training camp in southeastern Ukraine on May 22, 2023. (Photo: Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent)
Defense Ministry announced on June 20 that up to 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers will be trained under the EU Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine (EUMAM).
The EUMAM was set up in October 2022 with the aim of improving the training of the Ukrainian military.
Last year, the mission purchased the necessary equipment and ammunition. In 2023, Ukrainian soldiers, including members of the Territorial Defense Forces, are to receive training on the territory of EU member states.
The stated goals of the EUMAM are to improve the capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to conduct military operations and to help them defend Ukrainian territory, sovereignty, and civilian population.
Individual partners like the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and others already providetraining to Ukrainian soldiers, particularly on pieces of equipment that Ukraine has no experience with.
The “fighter jet coalition,” for example, was set up to train Ukrainian pilots and technicians on F-16 fighter jets.
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.
Asami Terajima
