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."
The aftermath of a Russian drone attack against Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast on March 8, 2024. (Oleh Syniehubov/Telegram)
Russian forces attacked a civilian car in the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast on March 8, killing a 58-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman, according to preliminary data, Governor Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram.
The strike was carried out by a first-person view (FPV) kamikaze drone at around 3 p.m. local time, the governor said.
"According to witnesses, there could have been another person in the car," Syniehubov reported.
The aftermath of a Russian drone attack against Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast on March 8, 2024. (Oleh Syniehubov/Telegram)
The aftermath of a Russian drone attack against Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast on March 8, 2024. (Oleh Syniehubov/Telegram)
The town of Vovchansk, with a pre-war population of around 17,500 people, lies some 60 kilometers northeast of Kharkiv and less than 10 kilometers from the border with Russia. Along with other front-line settlements, Vovchansk suffers from near-daily attacks by Russian forces.
Earlier the same day, a Russian guided aerial bomb attack on a private house in Vovchansk killed a 40-year-old woman and injured a 67-year-old woman, damaging at least 12 houses, the authorities said.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Daria Shulzhenko
