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 Ukrainian deminer uses the remote system of a mine trawl to clear a field of landmines laid by Russian troops near the city of Balakliia, Kharkiv Oblast, on May 19, 2023. (Photo by Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images)
A farmer was injured in an explosion caused by an unidentified Russian landmine while cultivating a field in the village of Posad-Pokrovske in Kherson Oblast, the regional military administration reported on July 2.
A 48-year-old tractor driver sustained a concussion and multiple injuries of the face, chest, and hands. However, he denied to been hospitalized, according to the report.
The regional administration warned farmers of the mine danger in the region.
Posad-Pokrovske village, which sits half-way between Kherson to Mykolaiv, suffered substantial damaged while being the site of the fighting between Ukrainian and Russian from since March 2022.
After the Ukrainian forces liberated the west bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, main roads have been cleared from explosives Russia left behind. However, mines can still be found in local forests and fields.
Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in January that Ukraine had become “the largest minefield in the world” due to the Russian invasion.
The large-scale mining of Ukrainian land makes it difficult and highly dangerous for local farmers to grow crops and harvest, putting at risk the country’s vital industries. During the summer harvest, farmers were killed in several regions across Ukraine when their tractors hit landmines or pieces of unexploded ordnance during work.
Alexander Khrebet is a reporter with the Kyiv Independent. He covers Ukraine’s foreign policy, alleged abuse of power in the country’s military leadership, and reports on the Russian-occupied territories. Alexander is the European Press Prize 2023 winner, the #AllForJan Award 2023 winner and Ukraine's 2022 National Investigative Journalism Award finalist. His was published in the Washington Times and Atlantic Council.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
