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."
Ukrainian soldiers fire targets in the direction of Avdiivka of Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Dec. 1, 2023. (Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Russian forces have made "marginal advances" amid ongoing fighting in several positions in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, the U.S.-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its latest report on Jan. 12.
In Donetsk Oblast, the ISW claims that geolocated footage published on Jan. 11 shows Russia's marginal advance northeast of Bakhmut, in the village of Vesele.
Russia has also intensified its attacks in the town of Avdiivka, where geolocated footage confirms Russian forces recently made limited gains in the town's northwest.
Southwest of the city of Donetsk, Russian forces also advanced near Novomykhailivka - a village completely destroyed by ongoing fighting.
Both Bakhmut and Avdiivka has been home to some of the most intense fighting since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For more than a year, Bakhmut has been an epicenter in Russia's war against Ukraine, enduring extensive destruction from artillery fire and airstrike, while, in Avdiivka, Russia has reportedly faced "some of the highest" casualty rates in the past three months
The ISW also reports that Russian forces marginally advanced in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast, capturing Ukrainian trench positions alongside the village of Verbove, east of Robotyne.
Geolocated footage further shows Russian forces making marginal gains in Krynky, situated on the east bank of Kherson Oblast.
Despite the advances, Ukrainian forces successfully repelled several Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast on Jan. 12. A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Southern Command also noted a significant reduction in the pace of Russian attacks along the east bank of Kherson Oblast in the past 24 hours.
On Jan. 11, Ukraine's ground forces commander, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, acknowledged the difficult situation Ukraine faces on its easter front.
"Despite the large-scale offensive actions of the enemy, our soldiers firmly hold the defensive lines in all directions and inflict significant losses on the enemy."
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
