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.
A German army truck, the Mercedes-Benz Zetros, in operation in Burg, Germany on June 25, 2016. (Getty Images)
Germany handed over its latest delivery of military aid to Ukraine on Dec. 8, which included vehicles, drones, artillery shells, and other equipment.
The delivered items included 11 reconnaissance drones, six border protection vehicles, eight off-road Zetros trucks, 100,000 first aid kits and other medical materials, 33 GMG automatic grenade launchers, and additional 155mm artillery shells.
The previous delivery included vehicles, drone-detection systems, ammunition, and other equipment.
A study by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel) released on Dec. 7 found that newly announced international aid for Ukraine between August and October had dropped to its lowest levels since January 2022, before the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
The U.S. remains Ukraine's largest military contributor, with a total volume of over $47 billion, the IfW Kiel wrote. However, Germany is reportedly catching up fast, having committed around $18 billion in military aid for Ukraine.
The U.S. Senate voted against a funding bill on Dec. 6 that contained $61 billion in aid for Ukraine.
Earlier the same day, the U.S. announced a $175 million defense aid package for Ukraine from previously directed drawdowns, in what Secretary of State Antony Blinken said would be one of the last military aid packages to Ukraine if Congress fails to pass additional funding.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
