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."
Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko on July 5, 2023, in Kyiv. (Sergei Supinsky / AFP via Getty Images)
Russian forces shelled 118 Ukrainian settlements in 24 hours spanning Oct. 31-Nov. 1, marking the year's heaviest single day of shelling, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported on Nov. 1.
"Since the beginning of the year, this is the largest number of towns and villages that have come under attack," Klymenko said.
An attack on an oil refinery in Kremenchuk, in Poltava Oblast, caused a fire that took 100 rescuers and a robot to extinguish. No casualties were reported.
Ukraine's eastern regions sustained the heaviest attacks. Casualties were reported in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv oblasts.
The barrage of attacks coincides with a Nov. 1 report from South Korean intelligence that North Korea has provided Russia with over one million artillery shells.
Ukrainian officials have long warned of increased Russian strikes in the fall and winter months. The attacks are expected to target the country's energy infrastructure, as they did last year.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Alexander Khrebet
