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."
This photograph shows a warning sign which reads "Dangerous! Mines!" placed near destroyed houses during a demining operation in Hrakove village, Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast, on April 18, 2023. (Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images)
A 42-year-old civilian was wounded after a mine detonated in the village of Rubizhne in Kharkiv Oblast, the regional administration reported on Nov. 7.
The man stepped on an anti-personnel mine in his yard and suffered shrapnel wounds to his arms and legs due to the explosion, the Kharkiv Oblast authorities wrote.
Rubizhne lies in the Chuhuiv district, roughly 50 kilometers northeast of Kharkiv and around 20 kilometers from the Russian border.
The village was occupied by Russian forces in the first days of Moscow’s full-scale invasion last year. Ukraine’s Armed Forces liberated the settlement in May 2022.
Around 6 million people are threatened by mines in Ukraine, and thousands may be killed or injured unless appropriate steps are taken, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Around 250 people have been killed by landmines in Ukraine, and over 500 have been wounded or maimed since the all-out war began, Shmyhal said on Oct. 9.
According to Ukrainian officials, nearly one-third of Ukraine's territory has been mined since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
Abbey Fenbert
