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 view of the buildings in the city center in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on July 11, 2023. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Valentyna Polishchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Editor's note: This story is being updated.
Russian forces attacked a civilian enterprise downtown Kharkiv with guided aerial bombs on April 9, injuring at least three people, local authorities said.
Russia recently intensified attacks against Ukraine's second-largest city with the use of missiles, glide bombs, and drones, reportedly destroying almost all of its energy infrastructure.
The buildings caught fire and were destroyed as a result of the latest attack, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. All three victims are employees of the affected enterprise, he said.
Rescue operations are ongoing, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. More people can be trapped under the rubble.
One person was injured and four suffered shock as a result of an earlier Russian strike against an industrial zone and a central park in Kharkiv on April 7, according to local authorities.
More than 20,000 buildings have been destroyed in Kharkiv since Feb. 24, 2022, according to Ukrainian officials.
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.
Kateryna Hodunova
